Forever Am Drag
by The Last Letter
Summary: Jake has abandoned his dragon side. He's fighting with himself as he's trying to hold onto his humanity, struggling with emotions he's never felt before and gathering his courage to fight his arch nemesis. In the end, will the dragon take flight or fall apart?
1. Always

"Jake."

There was no response at all.

_"Jake."_

The boy rolled in his sleep, but stayed oblivious to the voice.

"JAKE!"

The boy slumbered on.

Determined to get her older brother's attention this time, Haley whispered to herself, "mouth of the dragon." She took a deep breath, feeling the fire deep in her belly. Then, knowing it wouldn't hurt Jake, though he was in human form, let it loose. The fire hit him square in the face. She smiled sweetly, expecting him to yell at her, but he only popped an eye open.

"What." He didn't even have enough energy to make his question sound like a question.

"Mommy says you have to make me lunch. She says she'll be back at four o'clock with Daddy."

"Get your own lunch." He pulled the blanket up closer to his neck, ignoring Haley.

"But ... But Mommy said for you to." Haley insisted.

Jake opened both eyes, glaring. "Haley you are eleven fucking years old. Get your own goddamn food."

"Language, Jake!" Haley gasped.

"I don't give a shit!"

"Jake, I'm hungry." Haley insisted. "Please, I want some lunch."

"Get the fuck out of my room. I can't make you fucking lunch. Get it yourself."

"Jake," Haley whined, tears pooling in her eyes. Why was her big brother being like this? When had Jake gotten so mean? "Please -"

"HALEY!" Jake roared. He sat up in bed, the blanket falling off his bare chest. "I HAVE NO FUCKING TIME! GET OUT!"

Haley didn't fight this time; didn't press. She fled Jake's room, going straight into her own. She shut the door very quietly so as not to disturb him again. She sat with her back against the door, her mind processing the scene. She and Jake had never gotten along, not really. The age gap - six years - had put them at odds ever since he had entered puberty. After Jake and herself had gotten into one of their petty arguments she had often heard her mother saying to her father "once they're both adults they will be so close".

But despite their regular, loud and rather juvenile arguments, Jake had always loved her. And she had always loved Jake. There had never been a doubt in Haley's mind that her big brother would do anything to protect her; that he would always be there for her. Never had she wondered if he would ever hurt her, because she knew he wouldn't. Sometimes he would go a little too far with his name calling or make a mistake, but he would always try to fix it. Always be there.

But him yelling at her like that. He had_scared_ her. And he hadn't sounded a bit like Jake. He had sounded like a crazy man. She felt like, if she hadn't left his room when she did, Jake would have had no hesitation throwing her out, literally. She curled around herself. She didn't want to believe that Jake would hurt her. But he would have. She felt tears on her cheeks. She wanted Mommy. This never would have happened if Mommy had been home.

However, his voice hadn't been the only thing in that room that scared her.

When he had sat up and more than his face had been exposed, Haley had honestly felt a flash of hate for her grandfather. Because who else but Grandpa would have put Jake in that position? Mentally, she reviewed what she had seen. There had been long gashes across both sides of his ribs; a nasty bite mark was on his upper chest, probably a matching side on his back, like something had grabbed him by the shoulder. His entire torso had been bruised a dark black. Not only was she scared of Jake, she was also scared for him.

Haley would admit to worrying about Jake. He was, after all, the American Dragon and had run into his fair share of problems and enemies like the evil magician Pandarus, the ever infamous Huntsclan and the most dangerous of all, the Dark Dragon. As the American Dragon, Jake had a lot of responsibilities and duties. He had a lot expected of him. Haley was glad that she would never have to bear any sort of dragon title. She would just be a dragon, plain and simple. She would help Jake, and those who needed her, when it was called upon her, but she would never ever be the sworn protector of anything. Not unless something serious happened to Jake. And now she was scared that it would. Whatever had gotten Jake last night, she prayed he had defeated it.

A knock startled her out of her deep thoughts.

"Hales?" Jake's voice was calm now, quiet and raspy.

"Yes, Jake?" She was proud that she didn't sound upset in the least.

"Uh, do you wanna come downstairs? I'll make my homemade pizza."

She knew that this was a peace offering. Jake hated cooking anything that required more effort than sticking something in the microwave. Even persuading him to use the oven could be a stretch sometimes. But he made a really great pizza when you could convince him to. Haley put a smile on her face and opened the door. "With pepperoni?"

"Yep."

"And sausage?"

"Yep."

"What about mushrooms?"

"If we have them."

"And extra cheese?" Haley grabbed his hand, feeling so much younger than eleven as she dragged her seventeen year old brother to the kitchen.

"Haley, put what you want on the pizza on the counter, okay? I'm going to start the dough."

"Okay!" As Jake began to prepare the crust, swiftly covering everything in flour, she began to pile the counters. Tomato sauce, cheese (two different kinds), mushrooms (real ones, not the ones from the can), sausage, pepperoni, green pepper, bacon, and a tiny bit of ham. Jake handed her a cheese grater.

As she stood there, grating cheese, she looked at him. He had put his old red jacket on, zipped all the way up, even though it was super-hot outside. As he kneaded the dough, she noticed split knuckles. Her stomach twisted. As a dragon, she knew that they healed faster in dragon form and that injuries sustained in dragon form would transfer to human form. But she also knew that they didn't transfer well. Whatever happened in their other body would not be as bad once they changed back. She couldn't help but wince, realizing what Jake must have felt like while as a dragon.

"Hales, I think that's enough cheese."

She looked down at her pile. "I want a stuffed crust," she decided.

"Okay, but still, I think we're good. Start on the other ingredients." They worked in complete silence. He stretched the dough; she prepared the ingredients while watching him.

As he worked, stretching out his muscles, he would cringe in pain quite often. She felt bad. For waking him up and accepting his offer of a pizza. He should still be in bed. He hadn't been home when she had gone to bed last night, and she had stayed up late, sneakily finishing her book. And, even doing something as simple as working dough was killing him. It shouldn't be. She knew Jake. He was on a strict workout schedule that pushed him to the limits of his abilities and then some.

"Jake?"

"What?" He was busy preparing her stuffed crust before moving onto the tomato sauce.

"What happened to you last night?" She held her breath, hoping angry Jake wouldn't make a reappearance.

"Nothing, okay? It was just something that I had to take care of, for Gramps."

"But, Jake, you're hurt. I saw you this morning."

"Haley, drop it. I'm fine. I'll heal. And I'll probably suffer worse before I surrender my duties to the next kid." She opened her mouth, but he anticipated her next statement, "don't you dare tell Mom."

"I wouldn't tell Mom," Haley protested and she wouldn't. Mom would understand. She wouldn't be happy about it, but she would tend to Jake's wounds and hope that her son didn't come to anymore harm. Mom had accepted that Jake would get hurt and that she just had to be there to help him, but Dad wouldn't get it. Dad would go all crazy protective and never let Jake out of the house again.

"Or Dad." Jake layered the ingredients heavily over the pizza, shoving it into the oven. "I mean it Haley." There was a hard edge to his voice that made her nod.

He dragged himself back up the stairs to bed and when the timer for the pizza went off, he didn't even stir. Haley pulled the pizza out herself, and, while letting it cool a little, she called Fu.

Fu arrived in a matter of minutes, eagerly reaching for the pizza. Jake's pizzas were not to be passed up. "No." Haley stopped him. "We have to talk."

She carried the pizza up to her bedroom, checking on Jake as she passed his room. He was out cold, sprawled across his bed. He didn't even have the energy to drive her up the wall with his snoring. She closed his bedroom door. She set the pizza on her desk.

"So, what's so urgent?" Fu asked.

"Jake. I'm worried about him." Haley admitted.

"Kid, calm down. He's the American Dragon, he's going to run into some difficulties." Fu assured her. "He'll be fine."

"Fu," Haley's eyes were filled with tears, "there is no way he's fine."

"So he gets a bump or a bruise. So he's a little tired. It comes with the territory. It'll get easier once he's an adult and no longer has to go to school."

Haley grabbed Fu and dragged him to Jake's room. Jake had thrown off his jacket after returning to bed, and Haley saw that his back was just as bad as his front, with multiple bite and claw marks along with the always present bruises.

"What the hell happened to him?" Fu demanded, eyes wide.

"Shouldn't you know? He was out late last night, doing something for Gramps."

Fu shook his head. "We never saw Jake yesterday. Gramps was meeting an old friend out in magic town so I decided to, uh, do what the Fu does. Jake was on his own all night. His only order was to get a good night's sleep."

"He said he was doing something for Gramps." Haley repeated. "What did this to him? Why did he lie?"

Fu crept closer to the sleeping Jake, scared to wake the boy. He did something that Haley couldn't make out. When Fu turned back to face her, his face was stony, in a way she had never seen Fu's face before. "Haley, go call your parents. Tell them to get home so they can watch you. Then call Gramps and tell him to get over here as soon as possible."

"Fu, what's going on?"

"Haley," Fu snapped, before delving deep into one of his wrinkles. "Just go." She saw him pull out a potion bottle before running for the phone.

Gramps had arrived minutes before her parents. "Here's the story," he said quickly, "you couldn't get Jake to wake up, so you called me. Understood?"

"Yes," she nodded. Her stomach felt queasy. Something was wrong. Something was terribly, terribly wrong. It was confirmed when Gramps, instead of using some glamorous, magical remedy called 911. That was one of their main rules. Dragons never _ever_ call a regular doctor. Things were different in their bodies than in a regular human's.

Three days later, Haley first heard the words "crystal meth" and her brother used in the same sentence. That was the day her mother had sat down with her and explained everything. Jake had been taking the drugs for about three months now. Since he was a dragon, the effects had wreaked havoc on his body. Some of the things that happened with normal humans still happened to Jake, other symptoms didn't, some symptoms were unique to him. For the next two months, July and August, Jake was being sent to a rehab center a twenty minute drive away. When he returned, he would be living with Gramps and Fu for his final year of high school. After the school year was out, then college options would be considered.

"Is he going to be okay?" Haley whimpered.

Susan stroked her daughter's hair. "Yes, honey. It might be scary now, but when he comes home, everything will be fine again."

"Even though he's not going to be living with us?"

"Your grandfather asked to take him, and I really couldn't say no. This probably has something to do with the pressure from his dragon issues and Jake will be freer to be himself living with Gramps, rather than hiding it from your father."

"Why not tell Dad?" Haley asked. "Wouldn't that make things easier, us being a family again instead of him being away?"

"You know, I've thought about it Haley, but what if your dad reacts badly? It would only make things worse. This is better kept a secret, at least for now. Okay?"

Haley nodded. "Okay."

**This chapter was edited by **_**Noble6.**_** I don't own **_**American Dragon: Jake Long.**_

**~TLL~**


	2. Enduring

*TWO*MONTHS*LATER*

Jake looked around his new room over the shop. It was about the same size as his room at home, but it looked completely different. For one thing, it was bare. No posters adorned the walls, no clutter surrounded him. There were not even book shelves. There was a desk, but there was nothing on it, everything was in a drawer. His closet door was closed, hiding his clothes. What didn't go in the closet was locked tightly away in his dresser. He sat down on the bed which had been made up for him. The new black comforter was soft on his skin, but he barely noticed. His eyes focused on the walls, which he had asked Gramps to paint a dark gray.

He didn't want to be back here. He didn't want to be the Am Drag again. He had spent a good portion of his life being groomed to be the protector of the city, but no one asked him if he wanted to be. He just wanted to give it all up, be a normal boy. He didn't want to have to go through hell, keep getting injured, lying to his Dad, getting yelled at because his grades were low. It just wasn't the life he wanted for himself. He had wanted to escape.

He fully reclined on the bed, sinking his head between the pillows. All he wanted to do was sleep. Sleep forever and ever. It had been that way for the past five months. His sensitive ears picked up sounds around the house. He heard Gramps downstairs talking, probably on the phone with Mom. It couldn't be Fu, because Fu was outside of his door. Jake hadn't said a word since being dropped off at Golden Garden Rehabilitation Center and Fu had decided it was his own personal mission to get Jake to speak again.

Finally the dog knocked. "Kid, I'm coming in. You better be decent."

Jake didn't move.

"Look, uh, I know this isn't going to be easy for you. It's not easy on any of us, but especially not for you," Fu fumbled along. "But, uh, I'm here for you, okay? Whatever you need."

Jake contemplated the ceiling. It was white. He should have asked Gramps if the ceiling could be gray too.

"Also, Spud and Trixie are here. Your mother told them you were arriving home today, and they wanted to see you."

Jake reacted to this. He turned his head to look at Fu.

"Can I send them up? Or do you want them to go home? Say you'll see them at school next week."

Jake shook his head.

"Do you want to see them?" Fu asked.

Jake nodded.

"Okay," Fu rubbed his paws together, barely hiding his delight at this development. "Two friends, coming on up."

"How could we not have noticed?" Trixie demanded of Spud. They were in the downstairs of Gramps' shop where they had spent many hours as young teenagers. When they weren't skateboarding or causing general chaos, they were here, looking at magical things.

"Well," Spud began in his slow way of speaking, "we didn't notice he was a dragon."

"Of course not! No one expects their best friend to be a dragon, but drugs are a possibility with any kid. We should have been more vigilant. Especially when he started pulling away, getting quiet. Do you remember one of our last science classes?"

"Oh, yeah." Spud nodded, trying to figure out what she was talking about.

"Do you mind filling me in?" Gramps asked. He had been perched on a stool, listening silently to them talk. The situation with Jake was breaking his old heart.

"Our science teacher, Mr. Green, he always plays music in class, right? And one day he's playing this really upbeat hip-hop type mix, totally up our alley, but Jake starts freakin'. He had this meltdown about violins and then ran away. He didn't come to another science class."

"Oh, dear." Gramps was deeply worried, mostly how drugs would alter a dragon. They wouldn't react in a way that they would with a human.

"Trixie? Spud?" Fu appeared.

Trixie held her breath. She wanted to see Jakey right now.

"He's in his room."

Trixie grabbed Spud's hand, racing toward the stairs. They had never been in the upstairs portion of Gramps shop, but it was incredibly small. It took a few moments to find Jake, laying on his bed, in the most depressing bedroom Trixie had ever seen.

"Jakey," she breathed. He didn't even turn to look at her, didn't even register her presence.

Trixie glanced at Spud. There was something in Spud's eyes, a defeated look that hurt her almost as much as Jake was.

"Jake," Trixie said a little louder. When he didn't respond again, she just kept talking, hoping to draw him out with just her voice, "Spud and I just want you to know that we're here for you."

"We know you've probably heard that from, like, everyone else," Spud broke in, "but it's different with us, man."

"Yeah. No matter what's going on with you, you can come to us. Because after finding out you were a dragon, nothing else is gonna surprise us." Trixie added, but wondered if she should have brought up the dragon thing. What if that had been what brought on his drug habit?

"Because we're friends for life," Spud said.

Jake didn't move.

"Friends for life," Trixie repeated, folding her hand into a fist. They always fist-bumped after that line. It was just one of the traditions that had developed between them over the years.

She sat on the side of the bed, making sure that he could see her fist. Spud did the same. Jake's eyes rolled, first to her, then to Spud. What happened next gave Trixie hope that they hadn't lost Jake. His hands, which had been resting on his stomach, curled into two fists. He didn't seem to have enough energy to lift his hands, so Trixie and Spud brought their hands to his. Trixie, feeling accomplished, flopped down next to Jake, near the wall. Spud took the outside edge of the bed, with Jake in the middle. Then, they just lay there, protecting each other in their togetherness, pretending that the outside world wasn't there.

"Ew. That is not real food." Trixie curled her nose at what the cafeteria had to offer and it was only the first day.

Jake picked up a simple muffin (he wasn't really into the eating thing these days) before finding a table. Spud, with a tray of fries that looked completely undercooked, was hot on his heels. They sat together, waiting for Trixie to find something edible. As Jake chewed, he thought about Spud. He spent a lot of time thinking lately, contemplating things. He was lucky to have Spud, he knew. Not many friends would stick by him with what Jake's life was like. Spud, though strange at times, was smart. He had the ability to make people see things they wouldn't normally notice. He'd had that ability since they had met, all those years ago.

Trixie arrived, spouting off about how children were not criminals and that they deserved to be treated better. They especially deserved better food than what they were being served. He was also lucky to have Trixie. She was doing all she could to make him feel like Jake, to make him feel like a person. He couldn't be more thankful. Trixie had made it clear that she was there for him, but she was not treating him any differently than she had before. Except he had noticed her watching him more, being more attentive about what he was doing, who he was talking to. She was like his personal watchdog.

Jake tuned out his friends, eyes roaming the cafeteria while he played with his muffin. Nothing caught his interest. He didn't have much curiosity for others lately; his interest didn't pique for anything. That's why, when he felt that want of needing to know more, he barely recognized it. But there it was. And it happened, like it always does with a boy, because of a girl.

He had never seen her before. This was true, but he wanted to know her. He wanted to use his voice to talk to her, though he had forgotten how to talk. He wanted to use his hands to touch her, though he barely moved at all. He wanted to be carefree and laugh and be happy and make her smile and kiss her, though he didn't know how to do any of those things anymore. But this girl, this tall girl with long golden hair and huge blue eyes and a pink lip gloss smile, wanted to make him learn it all again. She made him want to feel again.

"Yo, what are you lookin' at?" Trixie had caught onto Jake spacing. In the past week that he'd been home, she knew that he often went off into his own world, forgetting the one he was physically in, but the look on his face now wasn't like that. He wasn't leaving this earth; he was spaced out on something. Trixie spun around and saw the golden haired beauty. "You lookin' at that girl, Jake?"

"Man, she is smoking hot!" Spud exclaimed. "Why do I not know this beauty?"

"Because she just moved here." Trixie shrugged. "She's in my global studies class."

Jake had tuned all of his attention onto Trixie, while keeping a slight tab on where the girl was.

"Her name is Rose." Trixie watched as Jake's lips parted, as though to say the name, but couldn't finish the effort. "She just moved here this year with her Uncle."

Spud and Trixie shared a look as Jake looked at Rose. This, at least, was a change.

"Just do it. Do it. Do it." Haley urged herself. She was on her bike, circling the block that contained Gramps' store. It was almost supper time, and she was supposed to be having dinner with Gramps, Fu, and Jake, but so far, she couldn't make herself go in and see her brother. Finally, she summoned her courage, and went in.

It was the first time she had seen Jake since that last day when he had made her pizza. He was sitting at a tiny wooden table. There was a sheet of what looked like math in front of him, but he wasn't paying any attention to it. He was doodling in the corners, though.

"Hi, Jake!" She said, forcing the enthusiasm that usually came so easily. Jake didn't move, just kept running his pencil over the paper. "Where's Gramps?"

Jake shrugged.

Haley walked slowly toward the table, pulling out a chair. She climbed up on it and studied his drawing. A dragon.

"Have you changed since ...?" She trailed off, unsure of how to finish the question.

Jake shook his head, understanding. No, he hadn't been a dragon for just over two months now. He didn't think he could do it, even if he tried.

"Do you miss it?"

He couldn't bring himself to answer this one. Instead, he got lost in his thoughts again. Did he miss being a dragon? Yes. Despite what he wanted from his life, to be free from dragon responsibilities, being a dragon was a part of him. Without it, he was not a whole. When he had been doing drugs, he hadn't been whole either. So why had he done it? This question had often been posed to him in the Rehabilitation center. What had driven him to try drugs? The most common answer that came to mind was to escape. But there were much easier ways to escape than crystal meth. So what else was it?

"Well, do you?" Haley repeated.

Her voice brought him back to reality. He focused on her, blinking rapidly. He shrugged.

"It's okay if you do." Haley bit her lip before plowing on. She had always been smart; wise beyond her years, and today she really showed it. "Because we miss you too. We miss human Jake and dragon Jake. I miss my big brother. And I know you're going through a lot right now, and I really don't understand it at all, but try to come back to me, okay?"

Jake didn't respond for the longest time. He studied every line of her face, which was really similar to his own seeing as how they both took after their mother. Her slanted eyes, dark hair, her small nose and her shaped lips. She stared back.

"Please, Jake, come back to me."

He took a deep breath and said, "okay." The one word hurt his long dormant vocal cords, but it also brought peace into another part of him.

"J-Jake!" Haley stuttered. "You spoke!"

Jake nodded, sealing his lips again. He didn't know why he had talked to her but he had.

"Yay!" Haley cheered with a child's enthusiasm. "Does this mean you're getting better? I can't wait to tell Mom and Dad … And Gramps! They're all gonna be so excited!"

"Don't." Jake's voice was harsh from not being used, but it felt completely natural to talk to Haley. Whenever he tried to talk to anyone else, it didn't feel right.

"What? Don't tell? Jake, you haven't said anything in forever." Haley paused. "At least, that's what they told me."

"Don't want to."

"You're talking to me," her brow creased.

"Only you." Jake insisted.

"Okay," Haley agreed reluctantly. But she did agree. Her big brother was coming back to her, just like he should be.

At that moment, Gramps and Fu came bustling into the home, arms full of groceries. "Ah, Haley," Gramps greeted, "have you been here long?"

"Nope. I was just looking at Jake's drawing." She faced Jake. "You should draw more."

Jake dropped the pencil. He wasn't in the mood for drawing anymore.

**This chapter was edited by Noble6. I don't own **_**American Dragon Jake Long.**_

**~TLL~**


	3. Eternal

Trixie could not believe her luck. And she was not quiet in expressing her complaints. Spud was right there with her. Jake shared in her sympathies, but was more interested in thinking of the sheet of paper in front of him. Was the colour pure white? And who decided if it was pure white anyway? How much of their life was dictated by outside thoughts that they just accepted it as their own because that's what everyone did and the world was just like that anyway?

"We suffer for how long in middle school and now this?" Trixie gestured to the whiteboard at the front of the room where _Welcome To Magical Creatures: Professor Rotwood _was scrawled in black marker. "It's going to be a total repeat of middle school. We're all just gonna suffer. I thought our senior year was supposed to be fun and we're stuck in this from September to June?!"

"It'll pass by quickly." Spud assured her. "Really quickly."

"I dunno." Trixie turned around, facing Jake behind her. "How are you feeling about Rotwood?"

The name stirred something deep inside Jake's brain, making him think back in time. Memories, especially ones that were older than this year, were hazy, hard to grasp. The name brought a sour taste to his mouth though, and dislike ran strong through his veins. He couldn't picture this 'Rotwood' but he didn't like the person. He faced Spud and Trixie in front of him (the desks were in pairs) and shrugged.

A man walked into the class. His hair was patchy, and Jake could smell mothballs from here. The scent made him recoil. He wanted to open a window, breathe in fresh air, but he couldn't make himself go to the window.

"Welcome to Magical Creatures." The man said, in an accent that made Jake want to cover his ears. His brain didn't like to think of the English language in the New York accent he was used to. "I am Professor Rotwood. I am here to educate you on the fact that magical creatures are indeed real." He smacked the board, creating a snap. "I have seen them with my own eyes."

The class broke out in snickers. Jake wriggled. He didn't like these people. He didn't like this structure. Even at the Centre there was a degree of freedom. But here, his life was "this now, this now, this now, this now, this now". He wanted to be outside. He liked the outside. He was spending a lot of time on the roof of his grandfather's house. He liked the breeze and the clean air, as clean as it could get in New York.

"Excuse me? Is this Magical Creatures?"

Jake's heart sped up and jumped into his throat. He had never heard this lyrical, soft voice before. He cast his eyes to the door. There she was, the girl from the cafeteria yesterday.

"Yes. You are late! I am Professor Rotwood. And you are?"

"My name is Rose."

"Well Rose," the teacher sneered her name, which made Jake feel oddly protective, "go sit next to our resident idiot, Mr. Long."

"Oh." Rose surveyed the room and spotted only one empty seat. It was next to a tall, muscled boy with longish black hair with green tips. His eyes met hers, and she smiled at him.

She made her way to his side, wondering why the Professor had called him the 'resident idiot'. She didn't know anything about his intelligence, but surely a teacher couldn't just say that to a student. She pulled out her book as Rotwood gave his introductory speech that absolutely no one was listening to.

"Hi." She said to him, keeping her voice low. Although she already didn't care for this teacher, she didn't like to be in trouble. "My name is Rose."

The boy's head twitched toward her. He had an earring in his left ear, she noticed. But he didn't look at her.

Suddenly, the girl in front of them turned around. Rose recognized Trixie from one of her other classes. "Hey, Rose, uh, I'm a friend of Jakey's here and he doesn't talk much." Trixie bit her lip, as though wondering what else to say. "He's been through a tough time lately, but he's a good guy."

"Okay," Rose nodded as Trixie turned back around, her dark curls bending to meet the brown hair of the boy meeting next to her. Rose looked back to Jake. "So you don't talk?"

His head tilted toward her. She caught a flash of his face as he dipped his head in a 'yes' motion.

"Well, that's cool, I guess." She tapped her long fingers against the desk. "To be honest, I talk a lot so, you know, there wouldn't be a lot of time for you to say something anyway, but hey, if you want me to be quiet too, I can do that. You just have to, let me know, or something." She twisted a long strand of golden hair around her finger.

"Okay, boys and girls. I want you to look at the person next to you. Study their face." Rotwood instructed.

Rose was already facing Jake, but he lifted his head up to glance at her. He was twitching slightly as he met her eyes. He was very attractive, she noticed with a slight blush. He had dark eyes and defined, heavier features. His dark hair was covering his eyebrows, tips of green fluttering into his eyes. She bit her lip self-consciously.

"In about a week's time I will be giving you a partner assignment. This will be your partner. This assignment, if done properly, should take several weeks and will be done in your own time. Not class time." Rotwood smirked. "Now, let's start compiling a list of all the magical creatures we can think of, hmm?"

Rose spread out a sheet of paper in front of her, digging out a gel pen. This class would be a piece of cake. She knew all about magical creatures. As students yelled out suggestions to Rotwood from around the room, she copied each one down. She was not one to speak out in class.

"Mr. Long," Rotwood said. "Can you give us a magical creature that is not on the board?"

Jake wasn't even copying down notes, Rose noticed. He didn't have a book bag with him. When Rotwood said his name, he covered his head, which was down on his desk, with his arms. He didn't move at all. Rose tried to watch his ribcage to see if he had continued to breathe, but she couldn't notice anything under his leather jacket.

"Mr. Long," Rotwood repeated.

"Dragons." Rose blurted, trying to divert the Professor's attention. "You forgot about dragons."

Rotwood turned a dark look to her. "Thank you for that, but I believe I was talking to Mr. Long."

"You know he don't talk," Trixie rolled her eyes. "Just lay off of him."

"Excellent grammar, Ms. Carter."

"I try." Trixie crossed her arms.

Rotwood gave up on the fight, turning to the board and writing _'dragons'_. "Rose is correct. Dragons are one of the 'biggies' in the magical world. They are large, smelly creatures with low intelligence."

Rose made a note in the margin of her page. She knew better than that. She also knew that Rotwood had no idea what he was talking about when it came to magical creatures. That much was clear. Growing up the way she had, she had been exposed to magical creatures since birth. The only true thing Rotwood said about dragons is that they could grow to be very large. And the young dragons sometimes had a scent about them. But as dragons matured, they lost that scent. And they could be very intelligent.

She remembered the last time she had been in New York. It had been two or three years ago now. As part of her training to be the Huntsgirl, right hand to the Huntsmaster himself, she had to visit all of the headquarters of the Huntsclan. She had only been here for a summer stretch, but in that time she had the pleasure of meeting the American Dragon. He was probably a young dragon at the time. He hadn't been very big, or muscled. He had seemed to be in some kind of training, as she had. She remembered seeing him with a blue dragon on several occasions.

Though she was older now, and more mature, the thought of the red dragon somewhere in New York City made her angry. He was her arch nemesis. She had, in her youth, many chances to kill him and become the youngest huntress to kill a dragon. She had still earned that title by killing the Korean Dragon when she was fifteen, but the mocking face of the American Dragon had not left her. Now that she was back in New York for a yearlong assignment she had made it a personal mission to finally get the cocky dragon.

She clenched her hands once, feeling the muscles in her forearms. She thought of her right arm where the mark of the Huntsclan branded her as one of theirs. And she honestly wouldn't have it any other way. This Huntsclan had made her confident, powerful. There were a few small sacrifices, such as giving up the typical teenage dating, drinking, and drugs life. But she didn't mind that at all. She was finding adolescence tedious, having been a grown-up at the ripe old age of nine when she had killed her first magical creature – a brownie.

Rose looked over to the boy sitting next to her. He was attractive. He was probably one of the only boys she would admit to ever being attracted to. Not that she'd had much time to look, being in training. Of course, she would probably marry a male that was part of the Huntsclan so that their children would be guaranteed to be marked for the Clan.

Jake suddenly felt watched. His dragon instincts had seemed much more heightened since he had taken the drugs. Slowly, he lifted himself off of the desk, automatically sweeping the room. This wasn't the gaze of a magical creature, or a high school student. This was the gaze of an enemy. His shoulders slumped down. He just wanted to be an eighteen year old high school student. He didn't need enemies, especially since he had no interest in defending himself.

The bell rang. It was the last class of the day. Jake watched as students rushed for the door, casually picking himself up at his own pace. He didn't bring a book bag to school. He would just leave it somewhere if someone had made him. He wasn't going to be writing anything down. It was pointless. Running through the motions every day like this was pointless. He did what he wanted when he wanted. He had no interest in anyone else's plans for him; even it was something as simple as a curriculum.

"Jake, we're thinking about hitting up the skate park after school." Spud said, as they walked toward the front doors. "You should come with us, man. It'll be like old times."

Jake shook his head. Not only did he not know where his skateboard was, he didn't want to revisit old times. He didn't want these times. Or new times. He wished that time would just stop. Time was an irrelevant concept anyway.

"You okay getting home?" Trixie asked.

Home? Where was home? What is the concept of home? Was home really where your heart lies? What if you felt as though you didn't have a heart? Weren't hearts all about yearning and wanting, excitement and tears, breaking and being whole, beating wildly and stopping all at once? He didn't feel that. He felt existence. He felt his existence as though it were a coat of armor; heavy metal put in place to show him how little he was in scheme of things. Someone so small couldn't make a single dent in this huge world of crazed people only thinking of themselves.

"Jakey? Can you get home okay?" Trixie stopped, making him look her in the eye. He nodded. He wasn't that far away from Gramps. "We'll see you tomorrow." Trixie and Spud walked off together, skateboards tucked under their arms.

Jake watched until they were out of the sight. He then turned to head for Gramps' shop. The place was deserted, as it often was. Gramps was out fighting what evil he could with Fu, taking over Jake's duties. Jake wondered if his grandfather had figured out yet that Jake was never going to be the Am Drag again. He walked up to his bedroom. When he opened the door, Haley was sitting on the bed.

"I have an idea," she announced.

Jake quirked an eyebrow. He walked toward the bed, sitting beside her.

"I brought you paint."

Remembering his promise to try to be her big brother again, Jake made an effort to speak aloud, instead of resorting to the gestures and avoidances he used with everyone else. "Why?"

"I thought it might be therapeutic." Haley explained. "I saw your drawing of the dragon the other night and I don't know if you realized it, but that dragon looked like you. I think you miss that part of yourself, and I want to help you get back in touch with your dragon side."

"With paint?" Jake was still confused. The confusion felt weird. He was used to being so disinterested in his surroundings that if something cropped up that he didn't quite understand, he could brush it off and never think of it again.

"Your room is depressing." Haley commented.

He didn't see what that had to with anything.

She pointed to the wall directly opposite his bed, the one with the door. "That wall is totally blank." She pointed to the paint. "Paint something."

"What?"

Haley handed him a photo. "I took this in March. This is what you actually look like, by the way."

He held the picture in his hands. He hardly recognized the form. Not that he had spent much time studying his dragon form in the mirror. In this picture, he looked free. Ironic, since that's what he wanted to be all along.

He was in the moment before the flight. His yellow underbelly contrasted greatly with the rest of his muscled, red, scaled body. His wings were open, ready to catch the breeze. His tail was curled upwards, coming to meet his chest. The tuft of green and black hair was shorter, spiked slightly. His eyes were open, a small jet of flame forming between his lips. How had he not noticed Haley taking this picture? He didn't even remember this moment.

"Here are your paints." Haley pushed the bottles and brushes toward him. "I'm going to go make a snack. Do chocolate covered bananas sound good to you?"

No. They didn't. But painting did.

**I don't own _American Dragon Jake Long._ This chapter was edited by _Noble6_.**

**~TLL~**


	4. Evermore

He had the dragon outlined in black paint on his wall. It had taken him three hours to make it how he wanted. Jake didn't know whether or not this was a step in healing, or if this was a memorial to the dragon side that felt dead to him. Haley poked her head around the door.

"Wow. It looks perfect. You're even better than I thought, big brother."

Jake dropped the brush. He didn't feel anything over the compliment, but he didn't want to seem rude to Haley either. Besides, nothing was perfect, especially this dragon. Especially what this dragon meant. And who were either of them to judge perfection anyhow?

"Fu says supper is finished. Are you coming out?" Haley continued.

Jake nodded. He needed something to do while the paint dried anyhow. He stood up, careful to put the cap back on the black paint. He wondered where Haley had gotten the money for the paint. It couldn't have been cheap. He wondered if she had said anything to his parents. He felt a stir of curiosity, but didn't ask. He wasn't ready to say that many words yet.

He followed Haley to the kitchen. Fu had a five star meal laid out on the kitchen table. Fu was not only a master of potions, but master of recipes.

"You are staying the night, yes?" Gramps was asking Haley.

"Yeah." Haley took a seat. "Mom and Dad are going to this funeral for some great-aunt that I never met. They're staying all tonight and maybe Saturday night too. I dunno. They said that they would call you to let you know details."

Jake played with his fork. He was surveying the food. He wasn't in the mood for any of the meat Fu had ready for them. He wanted the potatoes. And maybe some of the peas. But he was in the mood for the mashed potatoes with lots of butter.

"Jake?"

He looked down at Haley.

"Can I stay in your room with you tonight?"

He shrugged. It didn't matter to him either way. It was either his room or the couch, and Gramps' couch was not at all comfortable. He wanted to work on his wall some more. It was the first time in a long time that he felt like doing anything slightly productive. This want to paint his wall, to fill in his dragon, _his self_, with colour and life seized him.

He put a few spoonfuls of the potato on his plate, and about half of the butter. He ate it slowly, taking one tiny bite at a time. He didn't like eating anymore. There was something about the repetitive chewing and swallowing motion that his mind rejected. But he ate because he knew his family was keeping a careful eye on him. By the time he got to the bottom of his potato pile, the white masses were cold. He finished them, though, because Haley was right next to him. She had finished several minutes ago, but was sticking to his side.

He would never be able to tell her, but he really appreciated her being there.

He rose slowly, heading back down the hall to his room, Haley hot on his heels. "Are you gonna continue painting, Jake? Because it looks really good. I bet colour will make it look even better. I wonder how many coats of paint you're going to have to put on before it covers up the gray?"

Jake shrugged. When she was inside the room, curled back up on his bed, he closed the door. He didn't want Gramps or Fu to see what he was doing. He knew that he couldn't keep this a secret but he didn't want anyone reading anymore into this painting than there was. He was not doing this because he wanted to be a dragon again. He was doing it because somewhere in his head a long dormant voice was making him think that this was what he had to do.

Haley rolled the blankets up, making a little nest for herself.

Jake knelt on the plush carpet, reaching for the black to start filling in the claws.

"Haley," he croaked after a minute.

"Yes?"

"Window, please." Talking was exhausting. No wonder he had stopped.

"Since you said please …" Haley pushed open the windows, letting the paint fumes wash outside. "I'm going to go get a stereo and some music, okay?"

Jake shrugged. He didn't listen to music anymore but Haley could do what she wanted. He owed her a lot, he knew. And he had a feeling that he was going to owe her a lot more. She returned, putting in a CD that was some poppy beat that he didn't recognize. But she seemed content to lay there; listening to music and watching him paint.

It was three in the morning and the dragon was finished. There were still a few places he wanted to touch up. But he took a step back and surveyed his handy work. The creature looked like it was about to leave the wall, flapping its wings and flying away. The fire looked like it would burn you if you stepped too close.

Jake set the paint brush down, going to his bed. Haley had managed to stay awake to see the end result. "Wow."

Jake crossed to the window, staring over the New York skyline. The cold night air washed over his skin. He wished he could see the stars better.

"Doesn't looking at the dragon, feeling the wind, make you want to go flying?" Haley asked. "Don't you want to take flight again, be a dragon?"

Jake couldn't tear his gaze away from the streetlight by the shop.

"Jake," he looked over. She had transformed into her pink dragon self. "Let's go flying."

He slammed the window shut. He grabbed his comforter off his bed and left the room. He shut the door behind him, going to sleep on the uncomfortable couch that his legs were way too long for. Flying? He would never fly again unless it was in an airplane. But he felt different. It took him a moment to identify the feeling. Panic. He felt panicked. He hadn't felt this way in forever. He hadn't had a single reason to. But the thought of flying, once the only thing that could make him feel right, was the one thing that made him feel awful.

He pulled the blanket over his head. He didn't want to think of any of this. His life was the way it was for a reason. It wasn't going to go back. He wasn't going to go back. The American Dragon was dead.

Despite what the painting on his wall was saying.

"Jake!"

He opened one eye to find Gramps standing over him.

"Time to wake up."

Jake obeyed, sitting up.

"It's time to get to work."

Jake didn't understand. Work? He didn't do anything. He didn't want to do anything. He liked staying inside of his mind, feeling the breeze on his face and generally wandering where he wanted. They wanted him in school, so he went. They couldn't ask much more of him. Not without sending him back to that place. That place of drug dealers and being outside of your own body and not knowing what you were doing but needing it anyway.

"Now, go clean the shop." Gramps pointed downward, before turning into his blue dragon self. "I have goblins to take care of." He slipped out the window. Jake looked at the window.

"Jake? I'm sorry about last night." Haley was standing by the end of the couch. "I didn't mean to push you. You were just … I forgot that you weren't the same. You just seemed fixed."

Jake shied away from the word. Fixed meant that he had been broken. And if he wasn't fixed, that meant he was still broken. He had never considered himself 'broken' before. Did the scars make him broken? The scars from drugs, the scars he had caused himself or the scars from fighting? No. At the most, those scars could be considered cracks. Drugs were from when he failed himself. The scars he had caused to himself were from when he failed everyone else. And the scars from fighting were from when he was still doing the right thing. If he was broken at all, it was because he was not a dragon. He was not whole at all with that part of himself gone. But he didn't know if he wanted it back.

Did this mean he would be broken forever?

"We should go clean the shop." Haley continued. "I heard Gramps telling you to do it. Actually, last night when I was brushing my teeth I heard him and Fu talking about you."

"Why?"

"They're going to try to ease you back into training." Haley held her breath after she released the words.

Jake went rigid. Training? No. He wouldn't. They couldn't make him. The American Dragon was dead. DEAD!

"They're not going to make you transform, but Gramps wants to keep you in top physical shape. Just in case. And he's getting old Jake. He needs help. At least around the shop." Jake stood up, and let Haley lead him downstairs.

"Here is your assignment." Rotwood was handing out the partner assignment.

Rose felt a weird flutter of excitement. It wasn't for the school work, it was for Jake. She had been sitting next to him for about a week and a half now, and she was more intrigued by him than ever. She hadn't heard him say a word yet, but he had stopped twitching and would even look at her now when she started to ramble, which she did often.

"Well, looks like we're stuck together for a while," she said as she picked up the piece of paper which had a long, long list of tasks that had to be completed.

"This will be your only class period to work on this. Due date is at the top."

"This is due," she looked at the page, "on Halloween." Rose looked again at the daunting list of tasks. "Okay, so task one. Pick a magical creature that you think resembles your partner."

She offered Jake a paper and a black pen. "We have to keep track of this somehow."

Jake had not held a writing utensil in months. It seemed too small for his hand. He put the pen to the paper and wrote messily _Faerie._ And he was not talking about Rotwood's version of faeries, but the version he knew. Beautiful with a mischievous streak.

"Oh, thanks. Well," Rose had her own page. "I think that if you were a magical creature, you would be a dragon."

If asked why she picked 'dragon' for Jake, she wouldn't be able to tell you. Given the fact that she hated dragons, and had hunted/killed her fair share, you wouldn't think that she would have said it in relation to a boy she liked. But she saw in him some of a dragon's traits. She saw a certain discipline in his eye, magnificence, pride. She saw honor, justice, truth. He just seemed a dragon to her, a mighty dragon.

Jake's heart clenched. A dragon? He would rather be a troll, a goblin, a brownie. But a dragon? That just struck too close to home. If even she could see the traits of a dragon within him, perhaps he could not escape it. Perhaps someday he would be a dragon again. But he was not ready to go down that road of pondering his fate, his future, his dragon side. Inside, he claimed his dragon side was dead, but there was still something that he felt, with every breath, every beat of his heart, that was dragon like. That was fire and flying and protecting the city like he was born to do.

"Well, that was simple enough. Task 2. Find out five facts about your partner." Rose read. "Five facts about me. My favourite colour is pink. I have a birth mark on my right arm. I'm trained in martial arts. I want to go in a hot air balloon. And my favourite food is cashews. Weird, huh? But I can't help but love them. What about you?"

He scribbled. It took him a really long time to write it all down, but Rose didn't mind in the least. They were finally able to communicate.

_My favourite colour is green._

_I live with my grandfather._

_I have a dog named Fu._

_I make really good pizza._

_I hate pears._

"Pizza? Hmm. I like pizza." Rose bit her lip. "You don't look like a guy who would spend a lot of time in the kitchen."

Jake shrugged. For the first time, he was struck by a desire to talk to someone other than Haley. He wanted to tell her about Haley, about how he only usually made the pizza for her. And how, in the beginning, he would put the weirdest things on it, just to see her smile. She still sometimes dipped the crust in jelly.

"Task 3. Find out five facts about the magical creature you picked for your partner." Rose read. "Okay. Dragons have a soft underbelly. They have a weak spot behind their left ear. Dragon teeth bring good luck. They have excellent night vision. They breathe fire ." Rose concluded. "Your turn."

_Faeries have wings._

_Mischievous personalities._

_They love music_

_Very creative._

_Like honey._

"We are making some awesome progress on this thing," Rose observed, listening to Trixie describe why exactly the boy beside her, who she had learned was called Spud, was like a troll.

"Okay, task 4. Get a picture of you/your partner and compare it to a photo of the magical creature they represent." She thought about it. "I guess this is one of the ones we have to do at home."

Jake nodded, touching his hair. He really should cut it. He didn't like it overly long. He had just become aware of how long it had become. Then again, if he cut it he would have to dye it and get gel to spike it, because it didn't look good any other way. Yet, why did he care what he looked like anyway? They all judged him regardless, simply because he didn't talk, and because they knew something bad had happened. Not many had heard the real story.

"So, look, my house isn't really good for projects. Do you think that we could use your house?"

Gramps' house? Yes. They could use Gramps' house. Where would they go? They couldn't stay down in the shop part, mostly because of the magical artifacts that he had no interest in staring at, and which she couldn't touch. His room, probably. But then she might ask about his painting and he was thinking about covering it up anyway because it was a bad idea and he really hated staring at it.

"Could we?"

Oh yeah. He actually had to answer her question, instead of thinking it the answer. He nodded.

"Cool. So, after school tomorrow?"

He nodded. After school tomorrow was fine.

**I don't own anything recognizable. Thank you to my beta **_**Noble6**_**.**

**~TLL~**


	5. Infinite

"Okay, so, we're supposed to be comparing physical features." She was sitting on his bed. She, Rose, was sitting on Jake's bed. Everything was dark; depressing. Except for the wall she was facing. It was an extremely accurate painting of a dragon. _Extremely_ accurate. Most of the depictions of dragons that she had seen were off, skewed in some way. Not many mortal men, outside of the Clan, knew the true face of a dragon.

His accuracy unnerved her. Also, in the face of this painted dragon, she saw the American Dragon. Was that why Jake was so quiet? So … traumatized? Had he had a run in with the magical world? He hadn't told her that it was his dragon, his painting, but somehow, she just knew it had to be.

"Well, you don't have wings. Or breathe fire," she let out a weird sounding giggle, "That I know of."

He nodded once, a jerky sort of movement. He couldn't breathe fire at the moment, no. He would have to have his dragon mouth and then he wouldn't be himself, he wouldn't be Jake. He would be the American Dragon. He leaned his head to look at her. He was lying down, hands beneath his head, next to the wall. He liked the security of being between another person and the wall. She was sitting against the headboard, knees drawn to her chest so that she could write better.

She had a picture of him next to a picture of a dragon (the dragon on his wall, to be exact. They were going to find one on the internet but she had liked the one on his wall so much that she had just taken the picture). "There's something in your eyes," she drew a line from human eyes to dragon eyes and labeled it. The next line read _'bipedal'_ which he didn't know but connected their feet. "Weird. You both have, like, this blackish hair on your head." She labeled that too.

Jake looked out the window. The sky was a clear blue with puffs of white clouds. The sunshine was brilliant. He turned his face away again, unable to deal with what the sky was making him feel. He had turned his face into her arm. It was soft, the skin, but hard, the muscle. He leaned his forehead against her arm. He felt her tense.

"What, what are you doing?"

He rolled his head away, looking at the gray of his wall. Perhaps it was too depressing. Maybe Haley was right. But he had picked the gray for the reason. Or had he? Was the gray an instinct, or a reason? What was the difference between instinct and reason? Only the fact one had thought put behind it. But what did thought amount to? You could think all day, and all night, and think about where you wanted to be and where you wanted to go and who you wanted to be, but in the end, would thinking make it happen?

"So, uh, I think I've made all the comparisons I can." Rose said. Jake's eyebrows had knitted together in a look that she hadn't seen before. "It's your turn." Her arm still burned from where his face had rested. She regretted saying something, but she wasn't used at any contact from him. When they had been walking to his house she had accidentally nudged his hand with hers and he had fled to the other side of the sidewalk.

He rolled his head back to her. She handed him the clipboard which had a picture of herself and a picture of Tinkerbell. He picked up the pen. Faeries were fairly human. There would be lots of comparisons he would be able to make. The human face, the hair, the body type, the feet. The only difference was the wings, really. His hand exhausted, his writing nearly unreadable, he handed the clipboard back to her.

"Uh, okay." Rose twisted her head to his side. Her hair tickled his cheek. He inhaled. He wanted to touch the gold strands, gold that looked like sunshine. Except the sunshine hurt and her beautiful hair was soft.

"JAKE!" Haley jumped through the door way. "Guess what I –" She paused, gaping at Rose with big eyes. "Hi."

"Hi," Rose replied.

Jake sat up.

"I'm Jake's little sister. My name is Haley."

"I'm Rose." She cast an eye at Jake, who was only focused on Haley. "We're working on a project together."

Haley ventured closer to where they were sitting, looking curiously at Rose's clipboard. "What class?"

"Magical creatures." Haley's lips twitched upward. "We have a list of," Rose checked a paper, "forty-five tasks we have to finish before Halloween."

"That's a lot," Haley was now looking at the list.

"It hasn't been very hard though." Rose admitted. "Most of these tasks have only taken us a few minutes."

"That's good." Haley crawled up on the bed, curling next to Jake.

Rose watched their interaction carefully. Jake somehow seemed different the moment his little sister was beside him. He didn't seem as rigid as he did when his little sister snuggled up to him. Rose stood, feeling as though she was intruding on something. "Where's your bathroom?"

"Go back toward the stairs and it's the last door on the left," Haley instructed.

Rose left the room, moving swiftly away from the siblings.

"She's pretty," Haley commented when Rose was out of earshot.

Jake shrugged.

"Jake," Haley prodded, "isn't she pretty?"

Jake nodded. Of course she was pretty. Although he didn't react to anything –mentally, emotionally or physically - he couldn't help but react to her. His mind came to life around her, wanting to talk; his emotions tangled with hers as she talked, her excitement and enthusiasm trying to draw his out; his body, as well, reacted to the sight of hers, with her beautiful blonde hair, her curved lips, her big eyes.

"Do you talk to her?" Haley continued, torn between hoping that Jake talked to Rose, had someone else to confide in, and feeling just a little bit jealous that Jake was finding someone else besides her to confide in. But it was ridiculous that she should be jealous. If Jake was branching out, it was great.

Jake shook his head. "I wish," he revealed.

"Really?" A small smile tugged at Haley's lips. "So why not?"

"Hard," he confessed again. He still hated to talk, but he felt like he owed his voice, his best, to Haley. _Haley_ was the one with him that day he was sent to the hospital, but he didn't owe anyone else a thing.

"You'll get there," Haley promised. "Someday you'll talk to her."

Jake didn't respond. Not only because he heard Rose's footsteps approaching the door, but because he didn't like that word 'someday'. _Someday_ meant a lot of things but dangerous things. _Someday_ meant a future. _Someday_ meant that he would see a future. And right now, he didn't know what he wanted, let alone if he wanted to see _someday._ No, _someday_ was a dangerous word, even in passing, let alone ruminating on the subject.

Rose smiled nervously as she walked back in the room.

Haley bounced off the bed. "Are you staying for supper Rose?"

"I'm not sure," Rose replied, taking her seat next to her checklist of tasks.

"Well, I'm inviting you," Haley announced. "I'll go tell Gramps."

"She's cute," Rose commented, and felt a ramble coming on. She just couldn't stop the torrent of words coming out of her mouth. "She looks a lot like you, actually. Not that I'm saying you're cute. Not that you're ugly. You're definitely not ugly. You're just not little kid cute. And I guess you really don't want to be, because wouldn't it be weird to be seventeen (you are seventeen right, I'm seventeen and I think we're the same age because we are in the same grade) and still be little kid cute. Do you guys look like your mom or your dad? I guess that really doesn't matter but you can really tell you guys are siblings. In looks anyway."

Jake's eyes darted up to meet hers, and Rose felt a blush on her cheeks.

"Too much?"

Jake shrugged, and gestured to the list.

"Right, our next project." Rose picked up the list. "Quick question, before I tell you what it is?"

Jake's eyebrows lifted, although he was no longer looking at her. Rather, he was looking right over her left shoulder.

"How good are you at arts and crafts?"

Jake dropped his head, shaking it. Arts and crafts? Otherwise, efforts and creativity? No. That was not his forte. No thank you. The dragon on his wall gleamed on his wall in the corner of his eye, but the dragon was different. The dragon was a piece of him. The paint was for Haley.

"Our next project is paper mache. Do you know how to paper mache?"

Jake was not entirely sure what paper mache was but from the way she said it, it did not seem like a good thing at all.

(*.*)

An hour and a half later and, though they hadn't started on the actual paper mache yet, Jake would almost rather be facing down Pandarus on one of New York's back alleys than do this for one more minute.

As a quick Google search proved, paper mache was much more complicated than just paper. It involved making the shape of what you needed (out of something like wire or newspaper wrapped in tape) and then getting out the flour and water and then you got out the paper (torn into strips) and then you put it on the object and then you waited for it to dry (layer by layer) before you painted it.

Jake and Rose were perched at the kitchen table. If they could just get the rough shapes of their dragon and faerie, respectively, than Rose could go home for the night and Jake could return to his usual haunts of his bedroom or the shop roof. But the shapes were not cooperating. While Rose's faerie was looking vaguely human, she was headless and her wings were, inexplicably, hanging from the ceiling fan by their tape outsides. Jake and his dragon were faring much worse. Jake did not have a good handle on the tape like she did, and his thick fingers were much clumsier than her delicate ones as she twisted the paper and wire to the exact shape she wanted.

"Do you need help?"

A streak of pride that hit Jake hard and fast in the stomach and made his head go reeling (because really, what could he take pride in? Certainly not being a good protector, nor having good grades, or being an all-around good kid). That streak of pride wanted Jake to shake his head, tell her firmly 'no', he was capable of mastering paper and wire and masking tape because he was capable of so much more than she would ever know in her innocent, protected lifetime.

Except he wasn't capable, not anymore.

And how he envied her innocent lifetime.

He nodded and she moved closer. Her hair, which always seemed to be down, ghosted over his shoulder as she titled her head and studied the mess his non-feeling hands and numb brain had created. But her hands reached out, small and delicate but more capable than he was at anything at the moment, and took the mess in her hands. And, before his very eyes, she began to shape and create. This didn't seem to be very extraordinary. After all, she was only making a dragon out of old newspaper and bits of wire and masking tape. _Children_ played with more advanced materials.

But to Jake, it was a miracle. He couldn't help but watch her fingers – long, shaped but with nails bitten to the quick – as they fluttered around his failed artwork. She was molding something out of nothing. She was like a mother and child. A mother held the clean slate of her child's mind, emotions, morals, values in her hands and had to shape them into something wonderful. And though it wasn't as dazzling as a fully competent mother cooing proudly over the offspring she knew she could not have done anything better with, Jake couldn't help but be transfixed.

Because there, breathing a life into something that had never been alive, Rose had created a dragon.

He looked up at her, catching the pale cheekbone and long strands of hair. He was overwhelmed by the need to say something to her; the need to have her turn to him and look at him and see something normal. Because it's something that he's always carried with him. The fact that he will never be something normal. The dragon held him back, the drugs held him back, his fucked up mind and fucked up life held him back. He wasn't normal. But a girl like Rose? With her brain and her beauty and the way she could make anyone feel at ease – even he, who was constantly looking for an enemy, though he wouldn't defend himself – Rose could go anywhere in the whole wide world.

And he?

He would always be stuck here, waiting for reality to catch up to fantasy.

**I hope you enjoyed! I don't own **_**American Dragon Jake Long**_**. And, I hope that the ending isn't too rambling or anything because I felt this was important to Jake's state of mind. Thoughts? Thanks to Noble6 for betaing this!**

**~TLL~**


	6. Endless

Rose stood on the roof of the Huntsclan headquarters. It was past midnight and she was thinking of Jake. She had left his home about two hours ago and she was still replaying the evening. For some reason, she couldn't get the strange, silent boy out of her mind.

"Huntsgirl."

Rose straightened up. "Huntsmaster." She replied quickly.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Enjoying the evening." Rose responded. She could never admit that she was thinking to a boy, especially a boy that was not part of the Clan.

"You were home awfully late." The Huntsmaster purred.

"I have to work with a partner on a school project." Rose responded.

"What class?" The Huntsmaster came to stand next to her, leaning heavily on the railing.

"Magical Creatures." Rose shifted her weight onto one foot as she felt the Huntsmaster's gaze read her body language.

"Why must you take a class like that?" The Huntsmaster rumbled.

"It is required. And I must graduate high school in order to move onto a higher education. As next in line to rule the Clan I must receive all the education I can."

"Good." The Huntsmaster murmured his approval at his young charge's understanding of how her future must work.

Rose bit down on her lip as she felt the Huntsmaster's eyes on her body. She fought down a shiver as the thoughts she had forbidden herself to think surfaced. The thought that the Master thought of her more than his trainee but as a future mate. Of course, the Master had taken several women and had many children, but none of them had even been considered to succeed him. Huntsmaster often told her that the moment he had laid eyes on her, he had known she would be the future Huntsmistress.

Still, ever since she had hit puberty she had felt his eyes on her body far too often. She would never speak of her discomfort, for he was the Master and she was still just his humble servant. She lived in constant fear of May, her eighteenth birthday. He would never take her before she was legal and Rose never wanted to reach the day when Master, her trusted mentor, tried to guide her to his bed.

"Huntsgirl," Master pulled himself up to his full height to gain her attention.

"Yes Master." She met his gaze.

"We have a minor assignment for you to complete this weekend."

Rose nodded, flexing her muscles. "What are my orders?"

"A sacred gem." Master replied. "It is said to be under the foundation of ground central station."

He didn't say what the gem was for and she would never ask.

"Just be sure this doesn't jeopardize your true assignment." Master added, reminding her of why she had been brought back to New York.

"No, Huntsmaster. Of course not."

She then left him on the rooftop.

(-.-)

It was eight-thirty Saturday morning and Jake was awake and alert. It was an extremely early hour for the boy who would sleep twenty-two hours a day if given the option. But it was Saturday. And Saturdays were always the same. At the Centre he would wake up at seven. They would force feed him and monitor him as he cleaned his room. And at nine exactly, every Saturday, his mother would call. He never wanted her to come see him. In fact, kept rejecting her offers to come and visit him now. He hadn't seen his mother for almost four months.

At nine exactly the phone rang.

Jake sat cross legged on the bed and listened as Fu picked up the phone. "Hey, Susan. Yeah, he's in his room. I'll go see if he's awake." Fu padded down the hallway and knocked on Jake's door before twisting the knob. "Kid, it's your mom."

Jake held out his hands for the phone and Fu gently placed the black cordless in the teenager's palms. Jake waited until Fu was out of the room before holding the phone to his ear. He let out a breath to let his mother know he was there.

"Hi, Jake." Susan's voice was a fake cheery, Jake knew. He had recognized this early on. But he didn't blame her for having to force happiness around him. She had given birth to a freak and was suffering the consequences of it now. He felt so sorry for her. "I hope you're good."

He let out another breath.

"Grandpa tells me that you're working on a school project with a partner. I'm glad to see that you're taking an interest in schoolwork." Susan couldn't help but be a mother and add, "school is very important."

Jake knew, without looking at a clock, that it was five after nine and time for the question.

"Honey, I want you to listen very carefully," Susan said as she always did. "I want you to tap the phone once for yes and twice for no. Okay?"

He tapped the phone once, as was his part in this Saturday routine that they could both pretend was normal because, sadly, that's what this twisted phone dance had become.

"I want to see you. Would you like to go to lunch with me?"

This was where Jake tapped the phone twice. Then Susan would sigh and say that she loved him and that she would call him next week and that he could call her any time he wanted and she would always be there for him. That is how their Saturdays worked. Jake held his finger up to the phone and tapped once. After that tap, his finger seemed frozen in time.

Susan couldn't believe it. Surely there had been some kind of fluke. Jake had tapped twice and she just hadn't heard it because she had been praying for that one tap for months now and every time there were two it broke her heart.

"Jake," she couldn't keep the hope out of her voice, "tap again for yes."

He tapped. He was tired of these Saturday dances. He wanted to pretend he was normal and go to lunch with his mother although he doubted that's what normal teenage boys did.

"Okay!" Susan squeaked before bringing her tone back under control. "Okay. I will pick you up at noon." Jake breathed into the phone.

"Bye, honey." And then she hung up.

Jake pushed the button on the phone although the muscles in his fingers felt too exhausted to do so. He wondered idly if he had made a mistake, but he could not undo it. And seeing his mother, which the Centre had always pushed him to do, was considered a 'step'. The doctors at the Centre, his parents, his friends, _everyone_ liked 'steps'. Because steps meant that he could be healing but they didn't know anybody. They could gather up all the tape and glue in the word but Jake could never really be healed. The pieces on the inside would always be broken and wrong.

At noon Jake was sitting on the doorsteps of Gramps' shop. Susan pulled up to the curb and watched as the tall boy, _man_ she corrected herself, after everything he'd been through he would now be a man, slowly unfolded himself from the step and stumbled toward the car. She watched, her heart breaking, as he fumbled for the car handle, two, three, four, five times before finally opening it. He collapsed into the seat next to her, the door sliding shut after him.

Susan wished she knew what to say to him. It always used to be easy to talk to Jake, her smiling little boy full of discoveries about the world, human or magic. But some awful drug had stolen her smiling baby away and she didn't know how to bring him home.

"Is there anywhere in particular you would like to go?" Susan asked him with a smile. Jake didn't answer. He never did. "Well, if you don't have anywhere in particular there is a new family restaurant that I have just been waiting to try." He never gave any indication that he had heard her at all.

Susan sighed internally. She would never let Jake see her struggle to be like she used to be around him because she should still be like that. Nothing had changed. Everything had changed. He was a sealed door where he used to be her open book. She missed the other Jake, before all of this but she knew that he was gone inside this new Jake, who she had to accept whilst mourning the loss of her little boy. What killed Susan the most, however, was that she had not noticed Jake falling away from her. She had marked everything up to the dragon. She should have been more vigilant about what her son was doing and when, not just assuming he was with his grandfather.

Susan pulled into the parking lot. "We're here!" She sang.

Jake tried not to flinch at the high pitch of his mother's voice. It wasn't her fault that he couldn't tell her that he hated when she talked like that because it grated on his over sensitive ears. He followed her into the restaurant, standing up as straight as possible. People often deflected their eyes from him when they looked at his height. He made people nervous. He used this to his advantage because he didn't want to feel their eyes on him. He didn't want to be looked at or picked apart or judged. He wasn't theirs to judge.

When the waitress handed him his menu, he reached up to take it and her fingers brushed against his. In a normal situation, it could have been played off as an accident, or possibly a flirty gesture. To Jake, it was a threat. He dropped the menu and threw himself backward to the other side of the booth. His knees came up to his chest and he wrapped himself up into the fetal position. He knew people were staring. They were watching him and judging him and why was he so stupid and useless and they should all just go away now because going out in public was a very bad idea after all and he just wanted to be back in his gray room where everything was expected and nothing could surprise him.

"What is wrong with him?" The waitress gasped. It wasn't a sneer but her shock made her voice sound more judgmental than she intended.

"We're going to go." Susan said. "Jake," she said to the boy as though he were two years old again. "Do you want to go?"

He wanted to melt away. He wanted all the pieces of him that were still bound together by his skin to leak out of him, scattering and running until he was nothing more than a bag of skin and deteriorating bones because he wasn't good for anything else.

Without looking up from his shoes, Jake left the restaurant. He heard his mother's shoes slapping the pavement as she ran after him, but without trying, Jake soon outdistanced her. He knew where he was going. She did not. She was running after him, he was going to disappear.

"Jake!" Her voice reached his ears but he pressed his hands against either side of his head to block out the sounds. He wasn't entirely successful. New York was too crowded and noisy to block out sound completely but, if you were like Jake, and you needed a way out of _everything_ then there were places you could go. Places that would hide who you were even from yourself.

He wound through the streets which were becoming more empty and empty by the minute as he neared the place where no one but the lost souls dared to stray. He was moving on instinct now, as he had been when he had first found the place. You could not actively look to disappear, you had to let the disappear come to you, sucking out the broken pieces of yourself one by one.

A seductive male voice reached through Jake's hands to his ears. "Jacob," it purred, "long time no see."

And Jake felt another emotion he had not experienced in quite some time: relief.

**Uh-oh. Both Jake and Rose might be headed for trouble. Oh well, teenagers. Can't tell us what to do. Hope you enjoyed! Edited by Noble6.**

**~TLL~**


	7. Immortally

Andrew was the same as Jake remembered. He stood tall, taller than anyone he knew. His limbs were long and his beard was scraggly and he always moved like he was going through some kind of fluid rather than air. His hair came down past his shoulders and was such a white shade of blond that Jake always wondered if it was real. He always wore big work boots and black jeans and Jake had never seen his eyes because of the big black sunglasses. The hat, Jake realized, was new. An orange toque that captured Jake's ever fading attention.

"I've missed you around, old friend." Andrew stayed leaning against the brick wall but it seemed to Jake that Andrew was holding up the wall rather than the other way around. "Heard they put you in rehab."

Jake dropped his hands away from his ears and let them dangle by his sides. He scuffed his shoes against the pavement and couldn't take his eyes off of Andrew's new hat.

Andrew smirked. "Cat got your tongue? Ah well. Rehab always fucks up my customers. Doctors, they like to blame it on drugs but the drugs save people. You know that."

Jake did know that. He knew that so very well.

"You got any money?"

Jake gave a tiny shake of his head.

"Didn't think so." Andrew pursed his lips, tongue soft and pink darting out to fiddle with the tongue ring. "Tell you what, this one is on me. A congratulations on making it out of rehab."

Jake didn't move, but he didn't have to. Andrew saw how his eyes changed from flat to hungry. Andrew's arms pulled out of the pockets of his beat up leather jacket that had been stolen from the subway. In one hand he held the drugs that were Jake's salvation. Jake noticed that Andrew's fingernails were blue. Andrew's fingernails were always painted and before, it had been a point of fascination for Jake. Now, it was barely noteworthy to his trapped brain.

"Some for me and some for you." Andrew smiled.

Jake didn't even hesitate. He stepped toward Andrew and the brick wall that needed holding up by a boy that couldn't weigh more than 90 pounds and let salvation flood through his veins.

(-.-)

_Run. Run. Run_.

Rose was deep in the sewers, the red gem Huntsmaster had requested tucked in the pocket of her suit. The blue dragon was in fast pursuit of her, but she knew that she could slip away from the aging beast easily. She had spent much time studying the sewer lines, knowing they were everywhere and could be the difference between life and death.

Rose slid to the left and realized she had made a fatal error. She was supposed to take the next left. There was an angry roar and Rose turned slowly. She had no choice now but to fight her way out. She dove as the blue dragon's fire reached her. She was just under his neck now and punched upward into the throat. The dragon hacked and swung at her with his tail. Rose jumped, landing a kick to the back of the dragon's head as she did so. The dragon reacted by spinning.

The tunnel was now clear for Rose to run and she did so. She had no qualms about killing the dragon but she mustn't. The dragon was, for now, to live. She heard a splash as the dragon began to, once again, give chase, but Rose wasn't worried. She was too far gone for anyone to catch her now.

(-.-)

This feeling of alive was all new to Jake. He couldn't remember the last time he felt like moving and running and breathing because since when did the air taste so full? Life just seemed to flood through his veins and suddenly colours were colours instead of dimmed distractions. He spread his hands out along the bricks. Warmth. Warmth from the sun. What a wonderful sun it was. How lucky he was to have the sun. He hadn't been appreciating the sun enough.

"Kid." Andrew's voice sounded distorted. "Bounce."

Jake obeyed, ducking away from Andrew. He didn't need Andrew anymore. He was floating, dancing, walking on balloons! He was doing whatever he wanted because the sun was giving him strength and everything was beautiful and he could soar up to the sky if he wanted to but of course he didn't want to. But there was no need to think of that now. Not when everything was so bright and grand and shiny and new. Not when he was invincible and the whole world lay at his feet. Because, right now, Jake was a god among men. He was cloaked in gold and he knew he had a crown somewhere.

He needed to find his crown. His crown was hidden from him in the bright New York that held all the possibilities that the Jake – the sober Jake, the dragon Jake, the listen-and-do-everything-they-tell-you Jake, the sacrifice-yourself-for-others Jake, the don't-tell-anyone-your-pain Jake – had never been able to see before. He could reach out with his wonderful, golden magic fingers and pluck all the sparkling opportunities and possibilities that the old Jake never could have had. And how those diamond possibilities would look on his golden skin.

Jake removed his shoes when he arrived at Central Park. The grass wrapped around his toes as though it were a hug and a want-to-be-a-laugh bubbled in Jake's throat. But it wasn't released because of old Jake who was still hanging around new Jake's neck. Old Jake who was all consuming, who must be killed and stuffed away and who must never enjoy the sunshine again. Because the sunshine was for new Jake who was cloaked in gold and bathed in diamond possibilities. Jake looked down at his skin. It wobbled in front of him, fading into the grass and the trees and the skies and the other people. His skin wiggled and stretched and Jake hoped that a hole would be torn in him and he would be able to run from his skin and disappear into the land he knew existed but couldn't quite touch.

His skin tore, but instead of being free, old Jake emerged. Old Jake emerged full and healthy and not quite as gone as new Jake had wanted to think. Not that new Jake thought. Old Jake reached out with his human hands and dragon claws all at once, going around new Jake's throat.

An angry growl ripped Jake's vocal cords. He was not going back to that Jake and that time and that person because it was all long gone like a forgotten song or a ghost town. He slashed out with his golden hands, tearing at old Jake who didn't move because hadn't old Jake always been so much _more_ than this new Jake was? Another guttural cry fell from Jake's lips before he turned on the ghost of his former self before running. Running away. Running for the salvation that still coursed through his veins, running from the old self who still burned like an Olympic flame.

(-.-)

"Your gem, master." Rose knelt, showing her respect. She stretched one hand up, offering her treasure to her mentor.

Huntsmaster took the gem from her and allowed her to stand. Rose watched as the Huntsmaster locked away the gem. "Were there any difficulties?" He required.

"The Chinese dragon was there," Rose admitted.

_"What?"_ The Huntsmaster's voice was like a whip.

Rose didn't understand the anger in his reaction. The Chinese dragon and the American dragon had always been troublesome. That one, or both, had been at Grand Central with Rose was merely curious to the extent of how they knew she had been there. "He gave chase to through the sewers. I lost him quickly. He did not follow me to the headquarters."

The Huntsmaster paced. "The Chinese dragon has been meddling in my affairs for far too long." The Huntsmaster's voice was grim. "Do you remember what I told you when I requested your presence in New York?"

Rose thought back to the conversation that had taken place in late July. "Yes, Master, I remember very well."

"The Chinese dragon is very wise. He will not be ignorant to this. And now that he knows you are here, he will know that I am not ignorant to it either." Huntsmaster's pacing grew more agitated as he thought. Thought of the consequences if Huntsgirl failed. But no, the thought was impossible. Huntsgirl did not fail. She would never fail him.

"How dangerous is it that I was seen?" Though she would never admit it, a barb of fear had entered Rose. She had never been concerned about being seen in New York, going about the Huntsclan business as she would in any city. But was her being in here supposed to be kept secret? And what would it mean if she had blown that secrecy without knowing?

"It is not as dangerous as it once might have been," the Huntsmaster admitted. "I fear that I did not tell you the whole truth. But the time to keep secrets is gone. Sit, Huntsgirl. We have much to discuss tonight."

Rose sat.

(-.-)

"Wow, old man. Are you ever out of shape." Fu said as Gramps dragged his tired, bruised body back to where he had last seen the dog. "I mean, I'm not in the greatest shape ever but I'm a few centuries old." Fu chuckled.

"Fu –" Gramps began, the news stinging his throat.

"Now, now, I know what you're thinking. You're no spring chicken either. And I get that. By the way, you're in okay shape for a fall chicken. Or are you a winter chicken?"

"Fu –" Gramps tried again, but the dog continued speaking without a care, winding the city streets back to the shop. Gramps made himself keep quiet until they were indoors. If the wrong ears overheard the upcoming conversation, it could be very disastrous.

"So, what happened? Goblin fight? Trolls? Don't tell me the leprechauns got into trouble again?" Fu rolled his eyes. For being 'lucky' beings, the leprechauns sure ended up in their share of mischief.

"Fu," Gramps' voice was low, dark. "I fought the Huntsgirl."

A high, strangled noise came from Fu's throat. "The Huntsgirl?" He squeaked. "No. Not possible. She's –"

"Alive." Gramps finished. "We were wrong. And, after all of her time away, there is only one reason for her to return."

Fu's face was grave. "No."

Gramps nodded. "Unfortunately."

"It can't be time."

"We have known, Fu, for centuries, that someday it would come to this."

"Not now! Not so soon."

Gramps allowed himself a chuckle – gallows humor. "Centuries is hardly soon, Fu Dog."

"You know what I mean. No one is prepared for war." Fu shook his head, kneading his paws against each other in anxiety.

"It will not come to a war." Gramps assured him. "Not if we handle things correctly. We will start with the gems."

"You mean the Element Gems?" Fu asked. The commonplace name turned to awe in his voice.

"The Huntsgirl retrieved the Fire Gem from underneath Grand Central station at approximately one-thirty today." Gramps clenched his fists together. He had been a fool to leave the gems in hiding, to think that they were safe. He had also been foolish to think that the Huntsclan was blind. Especially with Theron now Huntsmaster.

"We need to get the rest. And soon." Hurry was already evident in Fu's voice.

"It is not so simple. You know as well as I do that the Wind Gem has been lost for a millennia, if not longer."

"So what do we do?"

"Whatever we can." Gramps turned to look at Fu. "Also, Jake must –"

Fu shook his head, his guardian instinct for the boy prevailing over his common sense. "He's not ready for any of this."

"He has to be."

**Yes, I named the Huntsmaster. It means 'Hunter' in ancient Greek or something … Oooh. Dramatic undertakings. I don't own **_**American Dragon: Jake Long**_**. R&R please? **

**~TLL~**


	8. Lastingly

"I am going to kill that boy!" Trixie ranted.

Spud took no notice of her anger. It had been less than an hour since he and Trixie had gotten the call from Susan.

_"Hi, Spud."_

_ "Hi, Jake's Mom."_

_ "Have you seen Jake today?"_

_ "No, sorry."_

_ "Do you know if he's with Trixie?"_

_ "Trixie is with me."_

_ "Oh. Spud, Jake ran off today around noon. No one has seen him since. Would you and Trixie help us look?"_

_ "Of course, Mrs. Long."_

And now, here they were. On foot they were able to look with more detail but with less speed than if they had been on skateboard. They had debated about that for a moment. But if they found Jake, he would not return to with them if they were skateboarding.

"He better be okay." Trixie threatened nothing. She ducked into Central Park and wrapped her arms around herself. Jake had better be okay. After the past few months, if something happened now, Trixie didn't know what she would do.

"He will be." Spud assured her.

"Jake!" Trixie yelled, hoping he was in hearing distance. New York was a big place and Jake had become so unpredictable as of late. "_JAKE!"_

"Jake!" Spud echoed her. He felt bad. Not just about how Jake had run off, about how he failed Jake in the first place, but how he had no idea where Jake could be. He and Jake were best friends. They had been best friends since they were four years old. He and Jake had been by each other's sides for almost fourteen years now and he couldn't tell you where Jake would run if Jake were scared.

"Where would he be?" Trixie, who had drifted away from Spud to yell, came back to him.

Spud took a deep breath and tried to concentrate. Though Jake had not been himself lately who he was, deep down, couldn't have changed that much. Where would Jake be? Where would Jake be? Spud suddenly got the feeling that he and Trixie were in the right place by being in the park but they needed to go to the left. Far to the left.

Spud took off in that direction. His best friend needed him and he would be there. Trixie struggled to keep up. Where on Earth was Spud going?

"Jake!" Spud cried out.

"JAKE!" Trixie screamed. They needed to find him. "Jake!"

"Shh." Spud stopped suddenly, his body wavering as he struggled not to fall.

"What?" Trixie whispered, trying to stay quiet.

"Do you hear that?" Spud asked.

"Hear what?" Trixie snapped.

"Shh!" Spud repeated. His head tilted to the left. "That!" He exclaimed. "There's something moving over there."

"If that's some kind of magical thing, we are going to die." Trixie said confidently.

Spud ignored her, moving toward the patch of trees. Jake was in there. He knew it. He approached slowly, not knowing what kind of state Jake was in. The last few months had been rough and Spud knew he hadn't always been there for Jake, and he didn't know how to be. "Jake," Spud called, quietly, giving his friend a heads up that Spud knew where he was. Spud parted the foliage. There, as he had predicted was Jake.

Jake started, backing up into a crouch. He was in that stressful place between high and sober and was not in control of anything he did. Right now, his instincts were telling him that everything was out to get him. If anything touched him, if any eyes fell upon him, he would die. He would die and he would be free from the pain of life but he would be nothing.

"Hi, Jake," Spud said, as softly and unthreatening as possible. "How are you doing?"

Jake backed up into the tree. His bare feet were frozen against the ground. He didn't remember when his shoes had gone. He just knew that they were already gone, like everything else that he should have been able to hold onto.

"Jake, your mom sent us to look for you," Spud continued, still in a whisper, "do you remember leaving your mother this afternoon?"

Remember? Of course he remembered. It was Saturday and his mother called on Saturdays. And this time, he had made the horrible mistake of saying he would see her and going out in public with all those people around while their eyes feasted on him and took all the little pieces from him that were truly him. Except he didn't have any true pieces left. Old Jake and New Jake were being blended together in a combination that couldn't survive. One of them was going to have to die, and it had to be Old Jake. New Jake was improved, especially now that Andrew was back.

"Do you want to come home?"

Spud was staring. Jake could feel it and tried to creep away.

"Jake," Trixie's voice reached out to his ears, strong where Spud's was soft.

Jake paused, reacting to Trixie's voice. But he was hoping that she wasn't going to ask about 'home' like Spud had. Because Jake had no idea about home and he was in no position to think about the subject. He just wanted to hide. Hide where no one would ever find him.

"Jake, honey, please come out and talk to us," Trixie asked.

Jake paused, considering. He struggled to make his mind think, struggled to go past the remaining clutches of the drugs that were now hurting rather than helping. He didn't talk, Trixie knew that, but maybe she wanted him to listen. He moved forward, like a gorilla, all arms and legs. He paused, just inside his leafy haven, staying low to the ground. Spud moved back toward Trixie. They looked down upon him and it took but a moment for them to crouch down to his level.

"Are you okay?" Trixie asked. She knew that he wasn't, but she needed some kind of assurance. She hated to worry. She especially hated to worry over Jake, because Jake was something straight out of a legend; strong, powerful, invincible. To see Jake, the legend Jake and the best friend Jake (who was witty, curious, daring) this broken being … Trixie was consumed with trying to put him together.

Jake kneaded the ground beneath his hands. He was feeling restless, not like he was pumped full of life like this afternoon, but like he couldn't decide whether or not to settle into the non-reactive person or reach for life again. But, was he okay? What did 'okay' mean exactly? It was used for so many different things that the word had lost all meaning. But Jake was not stupid. He knew what Trixie meant. She wanted to know whether or not he was sound in mind and body and emotions.

Trixie watched Jake. She knew he needed a moment and when that moment was over, he would let her know, in the new language he had developed for himself, what his answer was.

Jake looked up. He fell onto his knees and reached his hands out – one to each of his friends. He placed his hands on each of their shoulders. He rubbed, the fabric of their sweaters running against his palms.

"Jake, are you ready to go to Gramps'?" Spud asked, sensing that Jake's reaction to the word 'home' hadn't been good last time.

Jake pulled his hands back to himself, watching his fingers twine around one another in front of his chest. He didn't want to go back to Gramps'. After the day he had, Gramps' was not a good idea. Earlier, he had yearned for his gray room. Now, he wanted a few more hours of freedom from Gramps. Because Gramps had been making him_ do_ lately. He had been making him clean and organize and use his muscles again, keeping him in shape, something that he had not been caring about lately.

"You don't want to go back." Trixie didn't say it as a question. She knew it wasn't. "You have to. He is your guardian."

Jake couldn't look her in the eye.

"Jake," Spud waited until Jake was looking in his general direction. He didn't expect eye contact anymore. "Do you want to come to my house for the night?"

Jake nodded.

"Okay, but you have to call your mother when we get there, just to let her know that we found you."

It was a small price to pay, Jake reasoned, for a night outside of the gray and the do and the life he didn't want.

Spud put one hand under Jake's arm, letting Jake lean on him as they both stood.

"What happened to your shoes?" Trixie asked, looking down at his pale feet which were turning slightly blue.

Jake shrugged. His shoes weren't important. There were other shoes in the world. There was always something in the world to replace the things you lost. Except, what if you didn't want to replace it, what if you wanted it to all just go away, fall away, to where he would never have to see it again. He didn't want to want anything, and he didn't.

Realizing that Jake could give no answer for his shoes, Trixie began to wonder. She had been so concerned with finding Jake, and then figuring out if he was safe, to wonder where he had been all day. Now, though, she let her mind go to that place. He was disheveled and dirty and there was something about his look that she knew she had seen before. They were approaching Spud's house when, with horror, she put her finger on it.

The drugs.

The day he had run away from the music he looked like that.

The days she had thought he was acting strangely he looked like that.

The day she had gone to see him in the hospital he had looked like that.

Oh no.

"Jakey, honey," she couldn't tell you why she kept calling him 'honey' but it kept coming out of her mouth, "why don't you go call your mom? I need to talk to Spud for a minute."

Obediently, Jake shuffled off.

"He was high this afternoon," Trixie turned to Spud the moment Jake had closed the door.

"I know."

"You know?!" Trixie exclaimed. "Like, you knew and didn't stop him?"

"No," Spud hissed, hurt that she would even suggest it. "I knew it the moment I saw him that he had been –" Spud cut himself off.

"What do you think we should do? Should we talk to him or?" Trixie was at a loss. She liked knowing what to do in difficult situations but right now all she wanted was to protect Jake. Except, she didn't know how to protect him from himself.

Spud hesitated. "I'll talk to him tonight. See if he opens up more when it's one on one in the dark."

"Okay," Trixie nodded, "but, text me? I need to know that he's going to be okay."

"He will be," Spud assured her, "He just needs time to realize it."

"I hope so."

(-.-)

Inside the house, Jake padded down the halls he had been walking for most of his life. He knew that Spud's parents were already in bed but that they wouldn't care that he was here. He entered the kitchen which hadn't changed since he had known Spud. He reached for the receiver. He didn't want to call his mother because he knew that she would bring up the afternoon but he owed it to Spud. He owed more to Spud and Trixie than he would ever want to admit because they had stuck by him even when he hadn't wanted anything to do with himself.

"Hello?" Susan's voice rang over the phone. "Jake, is that you?"

Jake breathed into the phone. He didn't want to do the Saturday dance twice.

"Are you safe honey? Tape once for yes –"

Jake tapped.

"Are you at Gramps?"

He tapped twice.

"Did Spud and Trixie find you?"

Once.

"Are you at Trixie's?"

Twice.

"Spud's?"

Once.

"Okay, well, be safe. I was so worried about you all afternoon. I tried to find you and tried to find you. I am so sorry. It was too soon for anything like that."

Jake breathed.

"Be home by supper tomorrow?" Susan asked.

Once.

"All right. I will tell Gramps where you are. I love you."

Jake hung up.

**Alas, no Rose this chapter. But, I felt like Spud and Trixie were kind of being ignored. They are obviously spending time with Jake, but none of those moments made it into this fic and I felt it was important to show how supportive they are being of Jake. I don't own**_** American Dragon.**_

**~TLL~**


	9. Durably

Jake was on the floor. Spud was next to him. The bed was unoccupied. Jake stared up at the ceiling, listening to Spud's uneven breathing.

"So, Jake," Spud began. He didn't know how to start this conversation. He didn't know if Jake would even listen to him. With Jake's lack of speech, Spud had to trust that he was getting through to Jake, "where did you go this afternoon?"

Jake shrugged. He was in a world that Spud had never experienced before. A word full of colours and possibilities and truths that he didn't even try to understand.

"It's just," Spud was loathe to bring up the drugs. He knew that he and Trixie weren't wrong about what Jake had been doing this afternoon but he didn't want the questioning to sound accusing, "Trixie and I were worried when your mom called."

_Worry_. Jake's mind reached out and wrapped around the word, drawing it to the center of him. Someone was worrying about him. Someone cared. A strange feeling overcame Jake as he realized just how much Spud and Trixie must care about him. He knew, of course, that he meant something to them. They wouldn't be around still if they didn't and they proudly carried the title of best friends, yet, Jake had never thought of how much they must care. As he thought about the meaning of that word, _worry_, a nice feeling spread out over him. Spud and Trixie didn't _just_ care about him, they loved him. And Jake knew, without a doubt, that he loved them back.

"Are you listening?" Spud asked. Jake reached over and tapped his shoulder in a 'yes' gesture. "Good. Because I have something really important to say and I need to make sure you listen to every word."

Jake rolled onto his side and Spud copied him. For this first time in months, Jake met his friend's eyes.

"We know that you were high this afternoon," Spud admitted.

Jake drew in a breath.

"We aren't mad about it," Spud quickly assured him, "We just need you to know that we are there for you, every step of the way. And we don't want you to go down that path again. We were oblivious the first time around and I can't express how sorry I am for that, but we want to be there this time. You don't need the drugs, I promise you that."

Spud was wrong, so very, very wrong. Jake _did_ need those drugs. He needed them like air. He needed them because they helped him escape everything; himself, the dragon, the world. There was a better world out there and the gateway was inside Andrew's pocket.

"I don't know why you started, but if I had to guess, I would say that it's because of your dragon side."

Jake wanted to clamp his hands over his ears and roll over and ignore Spud, but he couldn't. He was frozen in place, as Spud's words weaved into his brain; digging into a spot that Jake liked to pretend wasn't there. A spot which housed the reasons behind the need for saving, a spot that was full of shame and anger and a life Jake wanted to leave far, far behind him. A life that kept sneaking up, taking over, existing where it shouldn't.

Spud knew that once he brought it up, he couldn't just leave it. He had to say his piece, to know just how far he and Trixie would go for Jake. They were like siblings, and siblings didn't let one another fall.

"I can't imagine how hard being a dragon was. I saw, though, how you were fighting, especially in the past two years, to keep up with the grades and the magic, the dual identity and hiding it from your dad. I didn't know how to help, and, I'll admit, I always thought of being a dragon is glamorous. I never said a word, but I was insanely jealous sometimes that you got to do all of these things that I never would. You could fly, breathe fire, you were a hero to so many different people and creatures, and here I was, some plain human thrown into the role of sidekick."

Jake closed his eyes against Spud's words, but his words painted a picture on Jake's closed eyelids. A picture of how Spud saw Jake. And it made Jake feel ashamed, because he had never lived up to how Spud saw him, and he never, ever would.

"I know now that I wasn't seeing the big picture and that I was just being an oblivious kid. It was never easy for you Jake and being a dragon took so much of your life away from you, but, and I am begging you here, don't let it take anymore."

Jake didn't answer, so Spud sighed and rolled onto his stomach, assuming his friend was asleep. Jake, however, was not sleeping. Every word was seeping into his core, being memorized. He lay there, until dawn, going over Spud's speech, letting the tears flow down his cheeks.

(-.-)

Rose picked up the phone and dialed Jake's house.

"Hello?" Jake's grandfather answered.

"Hello," Rose replied, "this is Rose, Jake's project partner."

"I remember."

"Would you let Jake know that I won't be able to work on the project for the next few days? Something has come up."

"Of course."

"Tell him I'll be back on Wednesday, please."

"I will."

"Thank-you."

"Goodbye, Rose."

The two of them hung up. Rose took a deep breath and turned away from the phone. She wished she didn't have to leave Jake, leave their project. She was coming to treasure the time with Jake because he was so unlike anyone she had ever known and every time she was with him she felt like a normal teenager. And, why not admit it? She was developing a crush on him. With a sigh, Rose pushed the thoughts away. She had no time to be Rose right now. Soon there would be a time where Rose would no longer exist. She had to be Huntsgirl, soon, Huntsmistress.

Rose strode toward the door and picked up her suitcase. She exited the Clan Headquarters, and climbed into the cab waiting for her.

"Airport," she told the driver, and studied her ticket. She was headed to Canada.

(-.-)

"So," Fu said as Gramps entered the backroom of the shop, "The Fire Gem is in the Huntsclan's possession, the Wind Gem has been lost since 450 B.C.E., the Water Gem, from what I can tell, is somewhere in Nova Scotia, Canada and the Earth Gem is in Texas."

"Where in Nova Scotia and Texas?" Lao Shi questioned. "Do you have a specific location?"

"I know that the Earth Gem is located in the wall of The Alamo but I am still working on the specifics of the Water Gem."

"The wall of The Alamo?" Lao Shi repeated. "I will go tonight."

"I'll continue talking to people, see if I can get you the specifics of the Water Gem."

"Jake will be home around supper, make sure he gets to school in the morning."

Fu nodded.

"Has the Huntsgirl been spotted since our fight in the sewers?"

"Negative," Fu shook his head. "I have the Seer ball scanning all of New York for her."

Lao Shi grimaced. "She is in disguise. We must figure out her cover."

"I will get right on that. After the Water Gem."

"I will try to be back by tomorrow. I will call when I am able." Lao Shi transformed. "Do not mention a word of this to Jake. I will speak to him when I return. Oh, and make sure Jake knows that Rose is not available until Wednesday."

Fu nodded, watching Lao Shi disappear. It was going to be so hard not to tell Jake. He was being used as a pawn in a game that he would never fully understand. It was something that Fu didn't fully understand. He hung his head, before reaching for the phone to call yet another magical being.

(-.-)

Spud walked Jake home. Mostly because he'd promised Trixie over text, and also because he wanted to be sure Jake went home instead of running off. Spud wasn't sure what part of his speech Jake had fallen asleep at last night, but he hoped that Jake had heard it, had understood it.

Jake was still hearing Spud's words with every step he took; every inhalation. He could not escape the feeling, the truth, behind what Spud had said. There was one line, especially, that stuck out in his mind_ "and being a dragon took so much of your life away from you, but, and I am begging you here, don't let it take anymore"._ Jake had always blamed the dragon for forcing him to the drugs. He had never thought beyond that. If there was more behind it. But he had never thought of the drugs as something that took away from him. The drugs had always been thought of as 'savior' in his mind, but what if the drugs were not the hero but the villain? The more Jake thought about it, thought about it until his vision swam and his entire body ached from the effort, the more he realized that Spud was right. The drugs were taking away. He had wanted to be normal, but the drugs were not helping him with that. He needed to put a stop to the drugs. He also realized that he needed to stop running away from life. As painful as it would be, he needed to try living again. It wouldn't be easy, or fast, but he owed it to Spud, Trixie, Haley and, he let himself think it once, himself.

As they approached Gramps', Jake felt different than he had ever remembered feeling. He felt light; not like the uplift of drugs, but actually light, like a burden had been stolen from his shoulders.

"Here we are," Spud and Jake paused out front the door. Jake kicked off Spud's shoes and handed them back to him. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow."

Spud turned away. Jake grabbed his shoulder.

"Thank you," Jake rasped, and ran inside.

(-.-)

"He spoke!" Trixie exclaimed. They were sitting on the front steps of school waiting for Jake to arrive so they could all head to Magical Creatures together.

"He told me 'thank you'." Spud smiled at the memory. "I haven't heard his voice in months! Trix, he was listening."

Trixie dared asked the question, "do you think he's getting better?"

Spud shook his head, "Trixie, he's becoming Jake again."

"Hi, Jake!" Trixie called, hoping maybe he would reply. Instead Jake lifted his hand in greeting. Internally, her heart bubbled over. Usually he would keep his head ducked, moving toward them slowly. It might not have been a huge change, but it was a change and Trixie was delighted.

(-.-)

Muscles aching, Rose hauled herself out of the ocean. It was unbelievably cold in the Nova Scotian Ocean in mid-October. But she did what was asked of her. The gem was tucked in a waterproof bag that was strapped around her waist. It had taken her almost an entire oxygen tank to dive underwater and retrieve the bright blue gem.

That wasn't even counting the two days of tracking the gem around the province. She had been interrogating magical creatures left and right. Every single one of them had been terrified out of their wits to be grabbed by an obvious member of the Huntsclan (who had a giant influence throughout the entire world). Their reactions, however, once they had realized she was the Huntsgirl puzzled Rose. Every single one of them was shocked. One had squeaked something that she thought was "back from the dead!"

This had sent Rose's mind reeling. People had thought she was dead? To spread that rumor would have been pointless, had she not had her talking with the Huntsmaster. Now, she was regretting that the Chinese dragon knew she lived. She would have to lay low while in New York in her Huntsgirl garb. To be spotted would mean assassination for sure.

Double checking that the gem was in her pocket, Rose hurried back to her hotel room. Her plane flew out in three hours.

**Huntsgirl is being hunted! And she's also winning the gem race … At least Jake is now trying to get better. Seriously, Spud and Trixie are the best friends anyone could have! I don't own **_**American Dragon. **_**Edited by Noble6.**

**~TLL~**


	10. Permanently

Rose tucked her feet up under her body. "You haven't been very productive," she accused.

Jake ducked his head, sneaking a look over at the dragon he was supposed to have painted. It resembled a dragon, just a dragon made out of newspaper and tape. Jake shrugged unapologetically. Rose had taken her faerie home to paint, but he hadn't seen any proof that she had. He threw her a look that said so.

In response, Rose reached into her bag and pulled out the painted faerie that she still wasn't sure how she had time to do. She placed the paper-mache faerie gently in Jake's large hand. Jake lifted the figure up to eye level. It was in a simple stance, hands down to its sides, legs together. But it was obviously painted in the image of Rose. The hair was long and blonde, the eyes startling dots of blue. The dress was a light pink, the same colour of the lips. It was a beautifully done piece.

"Do you want to do yours now or do you want to move on so that we can get the tasks done? Because we have ten days and fourteen tasks left."

Jake placed the faerie beside his dragon. He stood up from his desk chair, moving to sit beside Rose on the bed. He put his hand on the list Rose seemed to always be attached to. "Right. Tasks done." Rose let out a breath. "Jake, can I ask you something?"

Jake nodded.

"When this project is over," Rose tilted her head, hiding behind her hair, "will we still spend time together?" The words stumbled off of her tongue. She was so nervous about asking him this, but she was too nervous to not ask it. Spending time with Jake was something she didn't ever see herself wanting to give up, but she didn't know if he wanted to spend time with her in the same way.

Jake reached his hand up. He wasn't ready to speak to her, hadn't spoken to anyone but Spud since he had uttered 'thank-you', but there were other ways he could show her that he wanted to spend time with her, more time than she would probably be willing to offer him. He brought his hand to her hair, finally feeling the strands that had featured prominently in his dreams as of late. He brushed her hair out of her face, the closest he had come to willingly touching her skin. He tucked her hair behind her ear. When Jake was sure Rose was looking at him, he nodded.

"Really?" Rose felt that her smile was inappropriately wide, but she couldn't help it.

Jake nodded, and found a smile blooming on his own face. Her face, which he usually saw as a source of beauty, was radiant with that smile.

"Okay," Rose bit her lip, "let's get started."

Jake bent over the task list. The next one was something that stumped him, more than the paper-mache had. _Habitation Video Assignment_. Jake straightened, and pointed. Rose's eyes flicked over the words, before flipping the page over, reading the explanation paragraph.

"Do you have a video camera?" Rose asked him.

Jake nodded. Whether or not a sale had ever been made, this was an electronics store. They did have video cameras and outdated VCR's on the shop shelves.

"Okay, because we have to find our creature's habitat and attempt to find the creature while filming the whole thing." Rose surmised the explanation paragraph.

Jake stood up, stretching his back muscles. Rose bounced to her feet next to him, putting the task paper in her bag. As Jake led her down into the shop, he became uneasy. Rose was going to be looking for a dragon. It wasn't as though she would be able to find one; Gramps was the only active dragon in New York. But the fact that she would be leading him around New York while they searched for a dragon made him anxious. Still, he entered the shop and picked the first video camera he saw off of the shelves.

"Are you sure your grandfather won't mind us using it?" Rose hadn't seen the older man since the last time she had been to Jake's.

Jake shook his head. Gramps wouldn't care if he took a baseball bat and smashed every single electronic in the shop. _Never had a customer, never had a sale._ He turned from the shelf, placing it in Rose's hand. Her fingers brushed against his, and his mind flashed back to the restaurant, to the waitress who had touched him. But Rose's touch wasn't like that; didn't feel like a threat. The tips of her fingers felt surprisingly rough against his own calloused palms. He quickly dropped his hand away from hers, but for the first time in months, he hadn't tensed against the touch of another human being. Even Haley's hugs he had gone rigid against for a moment.

"Should we go?" Rose gestured toward the front door. "Not that I would know where to go. Where do you look for a dragon?" She paused, remembering his part of the project, "Or a faerie?"

Rose swallowed. She was supposed to be looking for a freaking dragon! This was ridiculous. She should have picked something simple for Jake's creature, like a warlock. That would have been so easy; warlocks live in regular houses. A small smirk pulled at Rose lips as she thought that if she slipped into her Huntsgirl garb then she would attract the two known dragons in New York City like flies to honey, though she had yet to spot the American Dragon since she had returned.

"Should we start in Central Park for the faeries?" She could deal with the dragon thing later.

Jake's eyes flicked up to meet hers, and he nodded. He wasn't exactly ecstatic about returning to Central Park. He trudged out the door behind Rose and reminded himself of his promise; he had to start trying to look on the bright side. He _could_ dwell on the fact that he had cracked under the weight of Old Jake's expectations and had been high last time he was in Central Park _or_ he could think about later that night, lying in the dark, listening to the speech that had changed his life. So many different people from the Centre had tried giving him that speech. It goes to show that it wasn't what was said, but who said it.

"Isn't it pretty out?" Rose inquired as they moved into the park.

Jake surveyed the park. The grass was green, the leaves that still clung desperately to the trees a multitude of fall colours and the fallen leaves, cracking under his feet. He nodded absently, tilting his head to look at Rose instead. She was pretty. Her blonde hair floated on the wind, her cheeks were bright red from the cool autumn breeze, her eyes huge and blue, deep with emotion.

"Shall we start over there?" Rose pointed. It was a thin line of trees, branches bare, next to the lake. She knew for a fact that there were no faeries on this side of Central Park.

Jake nodded, shoving his hands deeper into the pockets of his black hoodie. It was much colder than it usually was late October. He shuffled happily behind Rose as she flicked on the video camera and started talking.

"This is our expedition to discover the habitat of faeries," she said it a News Anchor voice. "My partner, Jake Long," she spun and flashed the camera at him and he was too slow to hide, "and myself will be trying to flush out these magical creatures."

(-.-)

Gramps, breathing heavily, forced himself through the door of his shop and into the back room, where he promptly collapsed on the couch. The flight – to and from – had been much harder than he anticipated. In his youth, he would have been able to make the trip in two days. Now, it had taken him several. Still, Gramps reached into the pocket of his robes, pulling out the brown gem, which glinted brightly despite the colour, it was all worth it for the Earth Gem. He would have to collect the Water Gem from Canada, steal the Fire Gem from the Huntsclan and find the Wind Gem before it was too late.

Fu hustled into the room, having heard the old dragon arrive, "did you retrieve the Gem?"

Lao Shi held it up in his hand. "Put it in the safe," he commanded gently, too weak to move.

Fu gladly snatched the Gem from the aged hand. He turned his back to Lao Shi, toward the safe. It was easier to deliver the news if he wasn't facing Lao Shi at the time. "The Huntsclan has the Water Gem," he mumbled.

"Speak up." Lao Shi prompted.

"The Huntsclan has the Water Gem." Fu enunciated every word.

"Are you sure?"

"The Water Gem was being protected by the mermaids. The Keeper of the Gem was found slain and they were unable to locate it. On land there are several reports of the Huntsgirl. It caused quite an uproar. They all thought she was dead, like we did."

"Theron must have spread the rumor." Lao Shi dismissed the piece of information. It was inconsequential now. If he had found out the Huntsgirl was alive before she arrived back in New York, it would have made a difference. Now, she, though still a threat, was put on a back burner when compared to the Gem. "We must find the Wind Gem."

"No one has seen it!" Fu cried. "No one. This thing has been lost for _thousands_ of years. It's hopeless."

"We _must_ keep looking."

"I know." Fu nodded. "When will you speak to Jake?"

"Saturday. It will give him the weekend to come to terms with what he must do."

Fu nodded gravely.

(-.-)

The search for Faeries had been going on for a good two hours. To neither Jake nor Rose's surprise, there were no faeries to be found.

"The battery is dying and magical creatures don't exist," Rose tried to keep a straight face as the words fell from her lips, "shall we call it a day?"

Jake nodded. He was exhausted. He had no idea how Rose could have so much energy. She had skipped from one tree to the next, actually seeming to be interested in searching for faeries. He blamed it on the cold air, which seemed to energize her. She snapped the camera closed, and leaned against the rough bark of a tree. Jake copied her, though on the tree across from hers.

"We can search for dragons tomorrow."

He nodded again.

"Jake …" Rose dug her foot in the fallen leaves that surrounded them. "You seem like a pretty serious guy so I just needed to ask you something?"

Jake tilted his head, looking at her. If Rose had known him this time last year, she would never have used the word 'serious' to describe him. Though last year had been especially tough, he had still been one of the class goofs; mouthy to teachers for no reason, pulling pranks on Brad and generally wreaking havoc on the high school and its inhabitants with Trixie and Spud.

An unexpected smile crossed Rose's face. "Do you ever play?" At the last word, she kicked the leaves up toward his face. She was worried it would be the wrong thing to do. Jake was really jumpy on a good day, and seemed to be more than content to stay grounded inside his head. But she had wanted to see if a lighter side of him existed; if she could draw the lighter side out.

Jake paused for a moment at the unanticipated gesture. His arms snapped out, the falling leaves getting caught on his sleeves. He looked down at the pieces of nature, before whipping them back at Rose. Her eyes lit up as the leaves tangled in her hair. She bent down, throwing more leaves toward him, which he quickly returned. As Rose continued to fling the leaves in the air, giggling and trying to dodge his tosses, Jake found himself smiling, really smiling, for the first time in a long time. He smiled so much that the muscles in his numb-from-cold cheeks began to ache, but he didn't care.

And when he and Rose walked out of Central Park, toward home, and she grabbed his arm and pointed to an amazing piece of graffiti, he didn't care. In fact, when she held onto his arm long after they had passed the piece of graffiti, Jake decided that this bright outlook on life promise might just have been the best thing he had ever done.

**I am looking for a beta reader for this story. I did contact someone about it but I have not heard back about them, so if you would like to beta read or if you know a good beta reader, could you please let me know? Thank you. And, for the record, I have **_**never**_** been to New York, so whatever I describe has been seen from a television show or from Google Images. I don't own **_**American Dragon Jake Long**_

**Edited by Noble6.**

**~TLL~**


	11. Interminably

"Jake," Fu appeared in the door of Jake's bedroom. The boy was bent over his desk, a paintbrush in hand as he was painting the paper-mache dragon that he and Rose had constructed. Every so often he would glance over at the dragon painting on his wall before adding colours. "Jake." Fu repeated when the kid did not seem to hear him the first time.

Startled by Fu's voice, Jake jerked back, dropping the paintbrush onto his desk. He inspected the new red paint smear on his hand before turning to look at Fu.

"The old man wants to see you down in the shop."

Jake resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He didn't want to lift boxes or weights. He didn't want to be in any sort of 'training'. He was trying to become more human, more of himself. He was trying to grasp onto any true pieces of himself left and it _seemed_ to be working. When he was doing something physical, something he knew Gramps would have pushed for because it kept him in good fighting shape, it became so much harder to take the bright outlook on life; to keep his promises to himself.

Still, Jake pushed himself out of his chair and followed Fu. He padded down the steps and into the back part of the shop, the magic part. Gramps was standing by a set of shelves and gestured for Jake to sit down on the couch. Jake did so, afraid that it was yet another change. He wasn't ready for any more changes. He was still adjusting to the life he had now.

Fu sat up on the couch beside Jake, swallowing. He had been dreading this moment ever since he had discovered the Huntsgirl was back in town and the Fire Gem had been stolen. He was terrified that this would send Jake spiraling back into the depths of drugs and he couldn't see the boy, and his family, crumble like that again.

"Jake," Gramps said, and the words got caught in his throat. How do you explain to your grandson that you might be sending him to his death? How do you live with yourself after you send your grandson to his death? "I need to talk to you."

Jake nodded, perfectly still. His feet were rooted to the floor, hands folded – near angelically – in his lap, eyes trained on his grandfather. Despite the fact that Gramps had only spoken one word, Jake could hear the dark tone. He could also see the tense shoulder and the wrinkles that had been deepened with a frown. Gramps' body language and tones also made Jake feel tense. He felt uncertain and scared; he wanted to flee.

Gramps turned around, catching Jake's eye. Seeing his grandson seated on that couch brought back a hundred memories.

_ Five years old and unable to sit still, Jake was bouncing on the couch cushions, much to the chagrin of Fu. "I WANNA REACH THE SKY!" Jake screamed, stretching his arms up above his head and Lao Shi had smiled, thinking of the day his young protégée would get his wings._

Jake's eyes, dark and brown like his own, were wary as he traced the lines of his grandfather's face. Lao Shi caught every movement, seeing the wariness that had recently settled like a net over Jake, but also, in the depths, a trust that Jake had always looked at him with. Lao Shi was loathe to do anything to break that trust. He had always been firm with Jake, but he had never tried to push Jake to his breaking point. But, with this, there was absolutely no turning back. Fate had been put in motion and there was no way to turn Fate around. Jake would have to do this, and Lao Shi, no matter the consequences, would have to make sure that it happened.

"At the beginning of time," Lao Shi began, "there were four dragons. These four dragons represented the four elements; earth, fire, wind, and water. These were all that was in the world at this point in time. As the dragons began to mate among the humans and humans began to create their own names for places, there became dragons for those places, slowly replacing the element dragons. Thus the Korean Dragon, Chinese Dragon, etc. The element dragons watched over their descendants for many a millennia, until only the magical community still knew of the existence of dragons.

"Around 900 B.C. the element dragons came together in the place of their creation, which has since been lost to history. It was there that a prophecy was made. After the prophecy was made, the ancient dragons decided to give up their physical bodies, in order to reach a higher plane of understanding. When the dragons were released from their bodies, the bodies instantly deteriorated. What was left behind were the Element Gems, as they are known today."

Jake's eyes never left his grandfather. His head swam as he tried to absorb the information. He also thought of what it meant to him, and why his grandfather was so upset over this piece of history.

"The exact words of the prophecy have also been lost. But, the prophecy entails that the Huntsclan, which is nearly as old as the dragons and which was well known by the magical community at this time, will someday take over. The only possible savior of this takeover was a dragon; not necessarily young in blood, but the newest dragon. The newest named dragon. At this point in time, that is the American Dragon."

Jake's heart sped up, leaping from his chest straight into his mouth.

"The prophecy would come to pass when the first Huntsmistress began to assert her power. Right now we know that Huntsgirl is in line to become the first Huntsmistress. She has not yet begun to assert any power over the Clan that I am aware of, though she is a known and feared figure. But, for the first time in hundreds of years, the gems are beginning to be exposed. The Huntsclan is in possession of the Fire and Water Gems. We have the Earth Gem. The Wind Gem is lost.

"In order for the world to be saved, for the evil that is the Huntsclan to be banished for good, the Gems must be assembled at midnight, on the anniversary of the rise of the newest dragon. The Gems will then take a bodily sacrifice and that sacrificed dragon will become the fifth and final Gem; known as the Dragon Gem. It will continue to absorb most of humanities worst desires for the rest of time."

Jake was frozen in place. His mind was on fire. A _sacrifice_? A prophecy? Gramps was sentencing him to die? Over the past few months, especially when he was in the Centre with his whole life stripped away, he had thought about it. He had considered it and planned it but there had always been something in his way. But now, now when he felt his life was becoming something brighter, now when there was light instead of darkness, it was planned for him to die.

Jake was instantly resisting. He had no words with which to shout his resistance, no movement in his clenched muscles to show his resistance, but it was there. It had been so long since he had resisted anything that he forgot for a moment what it felt like to rebel; to want to rebel. But Jake wanted to fight this, like he hadn't fought for so long. He wanted to run away from Gramps as well, clamp his hands over his ears and block the entire world out. This prophecy didn't exist. None of it was real. Of course, it left a sour feeling in Jake's stomach because he knew it was. He couldn't experience what he had experienced all of his life - magic and strange things and lessons like no other – and come out a non-believer.

Swallowing hard, Jake bolted for the door.

(-.-)

Theron slammed his hand down on the table, roaring with rage. With a set jaw, he whirled around from his desk, grabbing for Huntsboys 88 and 89. _"What?"_ he hissed, shaking with anger.

The boys shook with him.

"We were doing what you asked – "

"Looking for sightings of the Chinese – "

"Or American –"

"Dragons. The Chinese Dragon was spotted in –"

"Texas. Specifically around the Alamo."

The Huntsmaster dropped both of the Huntsboys with a loud thud. Terrified, they scrambled to their feet in preparation to run.

"Fetch me the Huntsgirl," Theron growled at the pair who looked at him with the appropriate amount of fear. They stood frozen, staring at his gruesome face. With another terrifying shout, Theron dismissed the two of them.

Linking their arms so neither would be left behind with the fearsome master, 88 and 89 fled. They ran from the penthouse suite of the Huntsquarters, down the stairs. Tripping over one another's feet and squealing the whole way down, the two boys made it relatively unscathed to the Huntsgirl's living quarters. They knocked in tandem, listening carefully for the shuffle of footsteps that would allow them to relax; that they had not failed in their mission.

When the Huntsgirl opened the door, the boys gasped in amazement. They had never seen the Huntsgirl in anything but her Huntsgirl dress. Now, instead of her uniform robes, she was dressed as any normal teenager. Neither had ever thought of the Huntsgirl as being a teenager, they had hypothesized that she must be in her late twenties, possibly even into her thirties. They thought that was the only way she had gained the Master's trust, by being with him for decades. Now, they could only stare at her in wonder. She was a great beauty.

"How can I help you?" She tilted her head to the side, and her long hair nearly brushed her bottom. When neither seemed inclined to answer, she asked again, "Did you need anything?"

88 was caught up in the way her glossed lips caught the light.

89 was trapped in the depths of her eyes.

"Boys?" She prompted.

"The Huntsmaster sent us," 89 blustered.

"He wants to see you!" 88 added.

The Huntsgirl pursed her lips. "I see. Thank you for the message." Her tone was final, a clear dismissal. She closed the door.

"Let's go." 88 whispered to his partner and friend.

Slowly they inched away from the door, heads bent together, talking, considering. The sight of the Huntsgirl as a normal girl meant that she had a life outside of the Clan. Since arriving in New York her long absences had always been attributed to assignments, perhaps long days of travelling. But now that they thought about it, the Huntsgirl must be going to school, might even have a job. It seemed lowly for the future leader, especially since no one else in the Clan ever seemed to leave the Headquarters in normal clothing, except to travel to the airport.

Seeing Huntsgirl as a person made them question the Clan, and not in a way Master would condone.

(-.-)

"Master?" Rose knocked softly on the door as she was opening it. She had quickly changed into the Huntsgirl garb, though she was supposed to be leaving for Jake's soon; they were supposed to finish the rest of the tasks today.

"We _must_ find the human persona of the Chinese dragon."

"That has been a priority of the Clan for many years," Rose proceeded into the room slowly. "Long before I was even born. The Chinese dragon has been very crafty over the years – "

"I KNOW THAT HE HAS BEEN CRAFTY!" For the first time in her life time, the Huntsmaster felt motivated to use violence against his apprentice. "But he has the Earth Gem. He knows we are in possession of two of the Gems –"

"But he doesn't know where we are," Rose interrupted the Huntsmaster.

Theron turned a deep shade of purple. His exhalations battered through his nose with all the force of an angry bull. "Close the door," he commanded.

Rose latched and locked the door before stepping toward her Master, as was expected. All of her well-honed instincts were telling her to run but the Clan ran from nothing. "Master?" She asked, warily.

"You _dare_ interrupt me?" He demanded, his breath washing over her face, before his hand closed around her neck.

**This chapter has been beta'd by Noble6. I am trying to update weekly unfortunately I was not able to access a computer yesterday so you get it today. I don't own **_**American Dragon: Jake Long.**_

**~TLL~**


	12. Continuously

Rose pulled her aching body out of bed Monday morning. It had been over a day since Master had exploded with rage, and she had not yet recovered. She turned on the light before stripping off her pajamas. She stood nude, in front of the mirror, inspecting the damage Master had done. It was mostly surface damage – bruises and scratches from his nails. She was sore in her shoulders from where she had been thrown against the wall. Rose lightly ran her fingers over her left ribs. She thought they might be cracked, but it was nothing serious.

Still … Rose bit her lip. With the bruises along her face, neck, arms, and torso she couldn't go out in public without covering her skin with heavy concealer. As well, the way she moved, like she had gained the body of an aged woman overnight, might make someone suspicious. Though Rose knew she and Jake needed to get the project done, she collapsed backward into bed. She was going nowhere today.

(-.-)

"Jake?" Fu threw open the boy's bedroom door, peering inside. "Come on, kid, school time."

Jake was a motionless lump on the bed. He was ignoring Fu. He was ignoring Fu and his grandfather and the rest of the world. He knew he should be pushing himself out of bed. He knew that he should be fighting with everything left in him for his life, but somehow he couldn't do it. Somewhere, inside of him, Jake had resigned himself to the fact that he was going to die. Everyone died, of course, but he had accepted that his death was on the horizon. Prophecy or no prophecy, dragon body or no dragon body, there would be a sacrifice. Jake knew that Gramps would make sure of that.

Fu sighed, approaching the bed. "Jake, did you hear me? The old man wants me to get you up for school." Fu reached out, touching the still boy.

Jake reacted the moment he felt the slightest bit of pressure against his flesh. He was standing on his bed, fists automatically rising in defense. His breath came quickly; his eyes darting. Even when he saw it was only Fu (who had never been a threat to him, never _would_ be a threat to him) he couldn't bring himself to relax. His muscles remained tense; fists stayed level with his chest.

Fu, from the floor, looked up at the boy – now a man. He couldn't bring himself to think of Jake as anything other than the excited teenager who had suddenly discovered he could breathe fire. Yet, there was evidence of the years that had passed written in scars on the young man's body. Fu wondered how many of those marks he had caused by sending the kid after some magical danger.

"One day home?" Fu offered, trying to calm the obviously stressed teenager. "It can't hurt, right?"

Jake nodded, seizing the peace offering the moment it was his to take.

(-.-)

Rose prepared herself for lunch with the other Clan members. She was in the lunch uniform, which was the same as the regular uniform except the mask covered the top half of her face rather than the bottom so her mouth could be free for eating. Rose gently fingered the mask material before slipping it over her head, obscuring her face; her identity. With her mask on, she was just another one of _them_. It was the first time she had thought of the Clan, her _family,_ with anything other than respect. Since Master's attack, she had found herself thinking about the Clan and the way it was run. She didn't like where her thoughts were leading her. They made her feel disloyal and dirty; unfit for her position.

Shaking her head at her own reflection, Rose exited her room. She moved into the hallway where many members were filing down to the ground level cafeteria. When she entered the flow of bodies, people automatically stepped out of her way. It was though there was a bubble around her, one that no one could breach. As the next Huntsclan leader she was their superior, but that didn't mean that she enjoyed being treated as such. Many of the others were her age or older and she wanted to socialize. She wanted to talk with the others as they did with people in their own rank. But she wasn't of their rank, and that made all the difference in the world to them. She was not a _friend_. She was a _superior_.

Rose picked up her lunch tray and sat at her usual seat in the cafeteria. The only person that she ever ate lunch with was the Huntsmaster, but only when he requested that she dine in his chambers with him. As she picked at her meal, muscles and joints aching with every breath and movement, she thought of Jake. She wondered if he missed her or if he wondered where she was. She wondered if he had been picked on in Magical Creatures and knew Trixie would have stood up for him if he had.

"Excuse me?"

Rose's head flew up, faster than was wise considering the bruises she'd had to hide that ringed her neck. Smothering her cringe as well as her surprise, she stared at the two boys in front of her. Huntsboys 88 and 89 stood before her, lunch trays grasped in their gloved hands.

"Yes?"

"May we –" started 89.

"Sit with you?" completed 88.

"Sure." Rose would have gestured, but she felt sort of frozen. This was the first time since she was six that she had been approached by other people in the Clan.

88 and 89 sat down quickly. As they began to devour their meals, Rose took an opportunity to do a quick study of the pair. She had never worked closely with either of them. They had spent their entire Clan Careers in New York while she had been travelling from Huntsquarters to Huntsquarters. She knew of them, though, if only in passing. Physically, the two were complete opposites. 88 was short, dark-skinned and on the chunkier side, where 89 was taller, light-skinned and extremely skinny. Physical differences aside, the two were exactly the same. They finished each other's sentences and seemed to do everything in synch. Even now, they were eating at the same pace and speed.

"We need to –"

"Speak with you." 88 and 89 suddenly dropped their utensils and leaned toward Rose, their voices dropping to a whisper.

"About?" Rose's curiosity instantly piqued. She did a quick visual sweep of the cafeteria to locate any lunch monitors who could possibly overhear their conversation, but there were none in the vicinity of their table.

"The Clan."

"And life outside it."

"Life outside?" Rose repeated.

"What's it like?" They asked together.

Unlike Rose, who had to have outside world experience for her future promotion, 88 and 89 had been inducted into the Clan as infants and had probably never left the Huntsquarters unless it was to complete a mission. Even then, both would have been in Huntsclan garments. Also, unlike Rose, they never had a chance to shed their numbers for a real name. They were nothing beyond that number, that title. Rose felt bad for them, because for as long as they lived, they would always be that number where as she would always be able to hold onto a time when ordinary, non-magical people had called her _Rose_.

She had no idea how to answer their question. They were looking at her expectantly but she had no words to offer them. She couldn't offer assurance that life inside the Huntsclan was the best option but she couldn't sing praises of the outside world either. She knew her duty was to tell them that they should not be questioning anything outside the Clan and that it was not their place to do so. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Different, obviously." Rose felt like she should have more to give them, but she couldn't.

"But you – "

"Go outside, right?"

"On orders, like you." Rose told herself to stick to what the Huntsmaster would want her to say. She couldn't let anything slip on her other identity, or the forbidden thoughts that kept wafting across her mind.

"Orders?" 88 questioned while 89 stared at her.

"Saturday you were dressed like the ordinary people." 89 elaborated after a pause.

88 opened his mouth again, looking uncomfortable. "We saw your face."

Rose's hand was brought to her mask. She had forgotten about that part. The face was the most sacred part of the body and the most forbidden. Someone walking around without clothes would not be as shocking as someone walking around without their mask.

"Don't you dare speak of that," Rose snapped, using her most authoritative tone.

"We won't!" They cried in unison.

"We want to talk to you more, though," 89 sounded rather breathless as he made his request.

"I think," Rose said hesitantly, "I would like that very much."

(-.-)

Fu was in his room, head in his paws. His ears picked up the distant sound of Jake breathing a floor above him as well as listening to Gramps' movements around the shop. He kneaded his claws into his rolls, hoping some unseen solution would fall to the floor. He had been racking and racking his brains for a way out for Jake but he had not been able to find a solution. No matter what happened with the Huntsclan's rise or fall, there would be an ending for Jake.

Fu jumped when one of his numerous magical devices chimed. He padded over to it, turning the orb over in his paw. With a gasp, he almost dropped the glass ball. On its shined surface there was an image of the Huntsgirl sneaking across New York rooftops with two Huntsboys behind her. Clutching the orb to his chest, Fu ran for Lao Shi.

"The Huntsgirl!" He exclaimed, offering the magical device to the old man. "She has appeared again."

Lao Shi took the orb and studied the image for a moment. "With friends," he observed. "We have never seen her with anyone before."

"Anyone other than Theron," Fu corrected. "What do we do?"

"We watch her as she leads us to the rest of the Huntsclan and the gems," Lao Shi replied, placing the orb back in Fu's hands.

Fu glanced down at the image. Huntsgirl scaled down a ladder, body already prepped for her next move. As he watched her move with grace unlike the awkward boys behind her, an idea bloomed in his mind. It was the solution he had been vying for. It was the solution he needed but he was against it because of the very nature of the plan. He drew a deep breath.

"If I found a way to keep Jake alive, to keep him from making this sacrifice, we would take it, right?"

"What are you thinking, Fu Dog?" Lao Shi was studying him apprehensively. If there was one thing he would give up everything for, it would be Jake's life.

"The prophecy is set to come true when the Huntsmistress rises to power, _not_ when the Gems start to become relevant again, right?"

"Well yes," Lao Shi replied, still unable to see where Fu was going.

"After Huntsgirl, who is set to inherit the position of Master?" Fu inquired.

Lao Shi thought of what little was known of Huntsclan politics. "I believe that it is Huntsboy 4. Why?"

"If there is not a Huntsmistress to come to power, the prophecy does not come true for this generation at least. Jake is safe." Fu hated what he was saying. He was talking about taking a human life.

Lao Shi took but a moment to mull it over. "It would work." He fought to keep the hope out of his voice, but was unable to. "But we must be able to find her in order to kill her."

"Does this take priority over the Gems?" Fu asked.

Lao Shi looked at the image of Huntsgirl who had stopped to converse with her colleagues. "This takes priority over _everything_."

** Assassination plots … dun dun dun. And why are 88 and 89 suddenly relevant? Hmmm. Perhaps more of a war will erupt than what Gramps thinks? Questions, questions. This chapter was beta'd by **_**Noble6**_**. I don't own **_**American Dragon Jake Long**_**.**

**~TLL~**


	13. Unchangingly

Jake padded along beside Rose as they went from school to Gramps. She had the list of tasks in her hand and was determined to finish them with a 100% because she felt Rotwood doubted Jake's ability to do anything. Jake was preoccupied with figuring out what was wrong with Rose's face. It wasn't that there was something wrong, per se, but it was different. There were patches of different colours on her face. It might have not been noticeable to other people (_normal_ people he thinks with a tone of regret) but he can see it, plain as day. He came to a conclusion as he opened the door of the shop for Rose.

It was make-up.

It should make sense, a girl wearing make-up. But to Jake_, _Rose wearing make-up didn't make any sense at all. He had never noticed it anywhere but her eyes and lips before. And he knew from a traumatizing experience in the ninth grade that make-up should cover the whole face equally. Rose's didn't. And the different coloured patches continued down her neck. He guessed that if she wasn't wrapped in a sweater, she would have make-up on her arms too. Someone had hurt her.

Jake felt a flash of protectiveness over Rose. No one should be hurting her. Though he knew she was strong (emotionally as well as figuratively) she still looked like a doll with her big eyes and elegant looks.

"We should just grab the camera and go." Rose stopped in the middle of the shop. "I still have to do a dragon hunt, remember?"

The word hunt made Rose's blood boil with anxiousness. It made her think of Master and what she needed to speak with him about the moment she returned to Headquarters. It would be the first time she would speak with him since he had laid his hands on her. She wasn't nervous about seeing him but rather she was nervous about the topic, unsure of how he would respond.

Jake reached behind the counter for the camera. He held it out to show her.

"Awesome," Rose put on a bright smile. She had figured out a plan for the 'dragon hunt'. She would say that dragons like to live in high places, say that there was a nest at the top of the Statue Of Liberty and take a video from afar because she couldn't get close. She thought it was a good way to avoid slipping into her Huntsgirl mode. She didn't want Jake to think there was anything weird about her … not that his mind would go to dragon slayer if he thought she was a little strange. "I can leave my bag here, right?"

Jake nodded his consent. Rose put her bag on the floor and they headed out onto the chilly New York streets.

"So," Rose cast around for a topic. "Do you do anything for Halloween?"

Jake gestured at about chest height – Haley's height – wondering if she would understand that Halloween had always been his and Haley's holiday. The only fight that _ever_ occurred between the two of them on Halloween was a race to have the better costume (because of his age, Jake usually won). The Halloween truce even kept Halloween candy sacred. Unlike other siblings who would fight over and steal candy from one another, for Jake and Haley, Halloween candy was untouchable unless it was willingly traded.

Rose looked at his hand, which was still at his chest. It was almost as though he were giving her a height which had nothing to do with her question. But if he was spending Halloween with a younger person … Oh! His sister, of course. Rose felt silly for not understanding immediately. The one instance where she had seen Jake and Haley together it was obvious they were very close.

"Haley?" Rose said aloud, just to make sure she was not wrong.

Jake nodded.

"That's cool." Rose nodded. "I'm spending Halloween with my brothers." Rose wanted to beat herself. Why had she said she had brothers?

Jake looked at her curiously. She'd never mentioned her brothers before and with the way she talked it was surprising.

"They're adopted, actually," Rose began to pick up speed as she found herself rambling about her imaginary adopted brothers. "Not that we like to differentiate between adopted and biological and by 'we' I mean my siblings because you know I, we , live with my uncle and he really doesn't pay a lot of attention to us but that's okay. He runs a huge business and I don't want to listen to him talk about how his company is doing and we, my brothers and I, are all teenagers anyway so we are perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves even though my brothers are younger than me. Not a lot though, not like you and Haley. Only a year or so between us. I guess I should tell you where we're hunting for dragons huh?"

Jake blinked, not even attempting to process the information she was throwing at him. If he was going to remember this his brain would figure out how to do it without him actually thinking about it. He did pay attention to the last sentence though, if only because "hunting dragons" brought out ancient instincts that made him want to fight for his life while running away. Instincts were complicated.

"We're going to the Statue Of Liberty. That makes sense, right? Didn't Rotwood say that dragons like nests in high places?"

Jake wanted to smile at her ignorance; her ability to live her life where dragons were mythical and had nests and weren't human at all. If only he could hear Rotwood's words and picture, like she probably was, a vaguely bird-looking dragon curled up in a nest on top of the Statue of Liberty. And that was why he couldn't smile at her ignorance. He would never be able to picture a bird-looking dragon because he saw a human one every day in the mirror over the bathroom sink.

"I think we should take the bus." Rose patted her jeans pockets for some change. "The Statue is kind of far away."

Jake grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the bus stop. There were too many people on the bus. It would be disastrous. He wouldn't be able to breathe and he would make a fool out of himself again by running away and he would also break his promise to Trixie and Spud and himself because another incident would send him back to Andrew. Jake didn't want to go back on his word. So even if it took an hour and a half, he would be walking to the Statue if Rose wanted him to be there.

"Or we could walk." Rose let him pull her away from the glass bus waiting area. "It's a nice day. It's supposed to get really cold at the beginning of November which is two days away. I don't really like the cold but I wouldn't be able to live in a place where it is warm year round. A world without seasons just seems wrong to me." And she knew exactly what she was talking about. She had spent her life in places that were either too much of one season or a perfect balance. She liked the perfect balance and New York was pretty close. At least here she had a taste of all seasons. She would never forgive Master for the nineteen months spent in permanent winter.

When Jake released her arm, Rose took a chance. She remembered the day of the faerie hunt and how they had walked home arm in arm. She wanted to feel that closeness to him again so she reached out and took his hand in her own. She felt Jake tense as their skin collided, fingers automatically intertwining around each other as though their hands were made for holding one another.

Jake relaxed into Rose's touch, regretting tensing in the first place. Normal people didn't flinch at the slightest bit of contact. And he liked Rose's touch. He liked that she would reach out and grab his hand because it meant that she didn't see him as weird. It meant that she saw him as a teenaged boy. And to be seen as a normal teenaged boy by a normal teenaged girl was a great feeling.

"So, we have quite a bit of work to do on the project," Rose gestured when she talked so she was kind of dragging Jake's hand around with every word that came out of her mouth but he didn't seem to mind. He just looked at her with that strong focus he had seemed to acquire over the past few weeks, "so we need to get a quick video of the Statue and then head back to your house. I'm sorry I wasn't able to come over yesterday."

Jake shrugged. Truth be told, he hadn't even remembered Rose was supposed to come over yesterday. He wouldn't have been able to get out of bed even if she had shown up at the door. Yesterday had been the worst day since the restaurant incident. Perhaps worse because he couldn't use anything to help him get through yesterday. He had to deal with yesterday all by himself and he was quite proud of himself for being able to do so. He hadn't crashed and burned; he was functioning through today, was he not? Although, Jake wasn't sure if he had worked through the issue yesterday, or if he had just tamped a lid on it. Lids, as he had learned at the Centre, were bad.

"Here we are." Rose let go of Jake's hand before reaching into his pocket to get the camera. As she felt him suck in his stomach when she brushed it through his jacket, she snatched the camera as quickly as she could. She had to keep reminding herself that Jake didn't necessarily like people in his personal bubble. She often forgot because of how little she minded Jake in her bubble.

She fumbled to turn the camera on, focusing it at the Statue. She put on the same reporter type voice she had used with the faerie video and pushed record.

(-.-)

It was midnight and they had one task left. Jake was furiously scribbling out a reflection on the project at his desk while Rose was on his bed with her binder doing the exact same thing. Jake wrote as little as possible – eight sentences. One sentence to go with every question on Rotwood's suggestions sheet. The whole project was a waste of time. The _class_ was a waste of time. The only thing good to come of Magical Creatures was meeting Rose. If they didn't have that class together, Jake was sure that she would just be the girl that had caught his attention the first day of school.

Putting his pen down, Jake glanced over his shoulder to see how Rose was doing. He hoped that she wouldn't get in trouble for being out so late. He still stood by his earlier observation that someone had beaten her. In his dragon days he had woken up with enough bruises from fights to know what a total ass-kicking looked like and Rose had gotten one. He was worried for her and didn't want her to get in trouble because she stayed out late doing a project.

What he saw when he glanced toward his bed brought a smile to his lips. Rose was fast asleep, sitting up, pen still poised over the paper. Jake got up slowly, slipping the binder and pen away from her. He knew that he should probably wake her, but couldn't bring himself to do it. She looked so peaceful and young. He gently shifted her so that she was lying down. The sea of grey blanket looked like it was going to swallow her whole. She was the picture of innocence. She reminded him of Haley in that moment.

Jake hesitated a moment. He should go sleep on the couch but he wanted to lay beside her, not for any reason than to be beside her. He told himself not to overthink things and lifted the comforter to be next to her.

**So, more questions. What is Rose talking to Huntsmaster about? And what will she say when she wakes up next to Jake in the morning? And we mustn't forget the prophecy! This has been beta'd by the lovely _Noble6_. I don't own _American Dragon: Jake Long._**


	14. Relentlessly

Rose stretched. Her feet slipped down to the coolness of the foot of the bed. She rolled onto her stomach, pushing her hands under the pillows as she tried get her back to crack. She took a deep breath as she pushed her cheek into her pillow. She reached her right hand out to the side to grab the edge of the blanket, wanting to cocoon herself in the comforter. Instead of hitting blanket or the edge of the bed, Rose hit skin. And not her own skin either.

She pushed herself up onto her elbows, turning her head to the side. Rose blinked a few times, trying to get the darkness to focus. When her eyes adjusted, the picture instantly became clear. She was not in her room at the Huntsquarters. She was still at Jake's. More specifically, she was in Jake's bed, next to Jake. Rose felt tense. She knew she must have fallen asleep but she didn't understand why Jake wouldn't have woken her to send her home.

Not that she was complaining at being next to Jake. She was, in fact, treasuring this moment. The moment of being able to look at his face in full without him ducking away from her. He looked peaceful and stiller than she had ever seen him. She had never seen Jake without motion. He was always fidgeting or doing some sort of movement. It was strange to see him still now, the only movement being the up and down of his chest from breathing.

Rose shifted into a sitting position, curling her knees up to her chest as she watched his face. She couldn't lie down next to him and go back to sleep. She knew that couldn't be an option. It wasn't that she didn't want to be next to him but she was expected back at Huntsquarters. She was not on a mission or assignment that would be overnight. As a prized asset to the Huntsmaster, she wasn't allowed to simply stay out late, among other things. Rose tossed her legs over the top of the blanket and scooted down the bed, trying not to disturb Jake at all. She felt awful for sneaking out on him, but she would see him in the morning.

Rose gathered up her bag and school supplies. She snuck one last look at Jake before leaving the room.

(-.-)

Jake felt strange. He couldn't remember the last time he had carried a bag but he'd had to today. Rose had left all of the project things at his house when she had left last night. He hadn't even remembered her sneaking out on him and he felt awful. Not just that he hadn't noticed, but that he had put her in a position where she felt she had to leave. He understood now, more than ever, how people should respect one another's boundaries. He hadn't done that to her.

She wouldn't have done that to him.

He closed his mind against the thoughts. He had to let last night lie. No matter how recent it was, it was still the past. He looked up toward the school steps, where Spud and Trixie were standing beside the doors, waving the moment they caught sight of him. He didn't wave back, couldn't get his leaden arms to move. They met and fell into step with him as he moved through the front doors.

"Did you get your project done for Rotwood?" Trixie asked Jake. "I got my part done, but Spud was being a slacker."

"Trixie!" Spud rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Look at me! Do I not scream slacker to you?"

"I thought that the fear of college might whip you into shape," Trixie shot back.

Spud made some kind of unintelligible noise, gesturing wildly at Trixie.

Trixie copied the gesture.

Jake walked along silently, knowing that he wouldn't be able to keep his mind off of last period until it happened.

(-.-)

Rose was up extra early. Master woke at four-thirty and she needed to speak to him before she went to school. She slipped into her Huntsgirl outfit and took the steps to his chambers. She would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous about facing him again. Not just because of the abuse she had suffered at his hands, but because she was hoping he hadn't noticed that she had been out late last night. She paused in front of the door and knocked hesitantly.

"Enter," Master snapped.

Rose slipped inside. "Master," she greeted quietly, bowing her head in respect.

"Huntsgirl," he replied. "I was not expecting to see you so early."

"I needed to speak to you."

Theron turned away from his breakfast tray to face the Huntsgirl. "About?"

"The prophecy," she replied quickly.

Theron's stomach twisted. He would be lying if he said he was ecstatic over the prophecy. Yes, it would bring the Clan to new heights. Yes, it would bring the Clan to achieve all of the goals they had been working to achieve since they had first formed. But it meant that he would have to relinquish his position. The Clan could reach all of the dreams he had shaped for it, but only if he stepped away and let Huntsgirl rise into the Huntsmistress.

"What about it?" Theron pushed aside his personal misgivings about the future. It wasn't about him. It was never about him. It was about the Clan. As for Huntsgirl, she was still young. No matter what her official position of power was, he would always be there to be her mentor.

"It said that I have to start exerting power, right?" Rose clarified.

"Yes." Theron said slowly.

"I was thinking that a good place to start would be to take in two Clan members that would report directly to me."

Theron mulled it over quickly. "I think that would be acceptable." It was a good solution. It would keep her from rising too quickly while continuing to put in motion the needs of the prophecy. "Do you have any two members in mind?"

"Huntsboys 88 and 89," Rose replied quickly.

"Why?" Theron asked, surprised. He would have thought Huntsgirl would be recruiting more sophisticated people. 88 and 89 were stupid at best.

"I believe that they can be easily trained," Huntsgirl explained wryly.

"Very well." Theron dismissed her, but called her back with a quick command. "Move them into the rooms adjoining to yours."

"Yes, Master." Huntsgirl inclined her head to a bow again before scurrying out of the room and down the stairs where 88 and 89 were waiting.

"What did he say?" 88 whispered.

"Are we working for you now?" 89 added.

"You are to move into the room connected to mine." Rose ordered. "You are to be ready to leave here with me at four o'clock this afternoon. Keep in mind that just because you report directly to me now does not mean that you can ignore someone who is a superior position to you. You are at their dispense unless you are working on something from me."

"We understand," they said together.

"Good. I have to go. Do as I said!" She jogged off toward her room, leaving 88 and 89 standing behind her.

(-.-)

"I trust that everyone has their projects done." Rotwood stood at the front of the class, surveying his pupils. "If it is not done for today then I will not be accepting it. No exceptions."

The class was silent as they watched him watch them.

"_Well_," Rotwood prompted. "Do you understand?"

There was a collective mumble.

"Do you _understand_?" Rotwood repeated.

"Yes," the class responded as more of a unit.

"Excellent." Rotwood grinned but it appeared to be more of a grimace. "Please place your projects on the two long tables at the back. Make sure your name is on everything."

Rose turned to Jake. "Did you grab all of the project things?" She asked, her first words to him of the day.

Jake nodded numbly. He handed her the bag full of their project. Her hand brushed his as she took it and Jake didn't flinch. He didn't even take time to revel in the fact that he _didn't flinch_. For the first time since he had met Andrew, he had not been afraid of contact with another human being. Instead, Jake was focused on the security he felt from her touch. He had felt that security last night when he had fallen asleep to the sound of her breathing in his ears. He had focused on the sound of her breathing for so long that he felt like it was engrained in him the way Haley's laugh was, the way Spud's speech was, the way his own heartbeat was.

Rose took the bag. "I'll put this on the back table." She headed off.

Jake watched her go, watching the light on her hair. He didn't know why he was so wrapped up in her hair, but it drew his eyes. It was long and vibrant; so _light_. When Rose returned, taking her seat beside him, he reached out. He ran his hand along the length of her hair. It felt so soft under his hand. He brushed the top of her ear with his fingers and her shoulder with the palm of his hand. He felt her tremble a little under his hand and he quickly withdrew.

Rose felt Jake's hand leave her, and quickly whipped her head around. She could still feel herself shaking and she wondered what was wrong with her. He had reached out and the moment his hand connected with the top of her head something had just exploded inside of her. She was suddenly a mix of feelings and she didn't know what to make of it. So, she had just started to shake. She felt like it had scared him. Rose didn't want to be the reason Jake was scared.

Carefully that Rotwood didn't see, Rose reached over and took Jake's hand. She glanced over at his face to find that he was already looking at her. This realization made a smile blossom on her face that didn't go away.

Neither had any idea that Trixie had noticed the whole thing and was glaring.

(-.-)

Rose turned in the opposite direction of Jake as they left school. She tucked her hands in her pockets, ducking her head against the chilly wind. Her eyes watered and she thought it would soon be time to switch into her winter robes. She wondered if 88 and 89 had managed to get fully moved in yet and that was what was on her mind when she was grabbed.

She cursed herself for getting lost in thought and not noticing that there was someone there. The someone was obviously human though and she reigned in her lethal instincts as she was slammed against the chain link fence. She took a quick moment to study the face of her attacker. To her immense surprise it was Trixie.

"Trixie?" Rose gasped as Trixie took a step away from her. "What the heck?"

"Are you playing a game?" Trixie demanded.

Rose noted how jittery and unsure Trixie seemed. "A game?" She gasped in reply. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Jake," Trixie clarified. "You have to know that he's not all there sometimes and it's not fair to him if you're just taking advantage of him."

"Advantage?" Rose repeated, slightly shocked. "I don't understand. I like spending time with Jake. I like that he's different and like no one I've ever met. So what if he's 'not all there' like you said."

"Jake doesn't need someone in his life who is only going to walk away."

"Trixie, I don't know what you want me to say. I care about Jake, obviously. I'm obviously not going to pledge eternity to him, but I will be there when he needs me."

Trixie studied Rose's face. "I saw you grab his hand. Do you like him?"

"I – " Rose hesitated. "Yes. I do like him."

"He needs someone like you, I think. Someone to make him feel normal."

Rose bit back her bitterness. She might make Jake feel normal, but she would never be normal. No normal person had two identities. "He needs someone like you too." Rose smiled at the other teenager. "Someone to protect him like you do."

Trixie took a step away from Rose. "Just between us?" she asked.

"Just between us," Rose confirmed.

**This chapter was beta'd by Noble6. Prepare for Haley coming up! And what do you think of the scene between Rose and Trix? I don't own _American Dragon Jake Long._****_  
_~TLL~**


	15. Forevermore

Rose entered her room, slipping into the Huntsgirl outfit that hung in her closet. She secured the mask over her face before knocking on the door that connected her room to 88 and 89's new rooms.

The door opened immediately.

"We are ready to leave Huntsgirl," 88 said before she even caught sight of him.

"Just as you asked," 89 added swiftly.

"Let's go." Rose gestured for them to follow and they slipped out of the Huntsquarters.

"What are we doing?" 88 asked.

"Killing dragons?" 89 suggested in a hopeful tone.

_Dragons_. Rose groaned the word in her head. She had forgotten to mention that to the Huntsman this morning. When he had first told her of the prophecy he had said to leave the Chinese Dragon (and subsequently the American Dragon) alone. She was simply to track the Dragons, find their home base. He had also said that, depending on how the events unfolded, the orders would change. She would need to know what orders she was operating on. It would be especially disastrous if she ran into one of the dragons today and was supposed to kill instead of tail them.

She slipped the communication device out of her pocket. "Huntsmaster," she said into it. 88 and 89 paused mid-step in the alleyway, turning to see what she was doing.

"Huntsgirl," his voice crackled into her ear.

"Orders around the Chinese and American dragons."

"Capture the Chinese Dragon. Kill the American Dragon."

"Yes, Master." She hung up. At least now she knew what she would have to do. They weren't going to be actively looking for dragons today, however. She had other plans for today. "Follow me," she said to 88 and 89, leading them through the New York streets.

"What are we doing?" 89 asked her. In her peripheral vision, she saw 88 hit his companion.

"Shh," Rose said. "It will all be explained." She led them into one of the four places in New York where the Huntsclan did not have eyes or ears. It didn't mean the Clan did not have influence in these places, it simply meant that these places didn't warrant constant surveillance.

"What are we doing here?" 88 looked down, curling his nose at the dirty streets.

"We need to talk." Rose swallowed, "about life outside the Clan."

"Outside?" the duo gasped.

"What do you mean outside?"

"Are we going outside?"

"Are we allowed to do that?"

"Are we going to be killed?"

"Why do _you_ get to go outside?"

88 and 89's questions overlapped to the point where Rose wasn't sure which one was speaking, which question the words belonged to. She squeezed her eyes shut, and thrust out her hands. "Enough!" She hated how much she sounded like the Huntsmaster in that moment, but she needed a breath of silence.

"I mean that there is life beyond the Clan, that your dragon birthmark does not define you or what you can do in this world. The Clan may be where you end up, it may be your calling, I know that I will never do anything against the Clan and I am not saying you should, I am saying that I want you to be more than a number."

"More than a number?" 88 repeated.

"As in a _name_?" 89 exclaimed. His eyes grew wide with hope. "You know our names?"

Rose blinked. She didn't even know if they had names. She didn't even know if Rose was her real name – if she even had a real name – or if it was something the Huntsmaster had given her when he had enrolled her in school over a decade ago. If they had been born into the Clan by parents who were previous members they would not have names. It would be impossible to prove either of their heritages however; it would speak to something personal. The Clan was not personal. The Clan was about having the same backgrounds, the same memories. There was no individuality. It was frowned upon. Rose was unique. She suspected that the Huntsmaster was like her, or had been when he was her age prepping to take the title of Master.

"No," she finally responded to 89's question. "I don't."

Their faces fell. "So what are you talking about?" 88 finally asked. "What are we doing?"

"I will give you names," Rose informed them. "It will be much easier for you to navigate the city if you are dressed as a civilian."

"Why are we roaming the city?"

"You will be looking for the home of the Chinese and American Dragon – if they are indeed in the same place." Rose thought they might be. They were always sighted together. At least, that was how it had been before the American Dragon had seemed to disappear off the face of the earth. Rose was starting to suspect that he had died.

"How are we supposed to do that?" 88 questioned.

"We'll figure that out," 89 jabbed 88 in the ribs. "What are our names?" His eyes had gone all wide again, shiny with the temptation of something beyond his ordinary life.

"Names." Rose sucked in a breath and held it. She had never named something before, not even a goldfish. Who was she to be naming two sixteen year old boys? "You," she pointed to 88, "you are Kyle."

_"Kyle_," 88 mouthed the name, in a threadbare tone.

"What about me?" 89 pushed.

"Nicholas," this name tumbled from her lips without thoughts.

"Nicholas!" 89 exclaimed his new name with exuberance. "Nicholas!" he repeated.

Rose could make out a smile underneath each of their masks, and her heart swelled. It felt amazing to be able to give them this, a name, which she had always taken for granted. All they had was the same Clan identity everyone else had. Every moment she spent with the two of them made her feel even more grateful for school and Jake and even _Rose_ – her own name.

"Well, Kyle and Nicholas," she smiled, "shall we begin our quest?"

(-.-)

"Jake, I need to speak to you."

Jake ignored his grandfather. He didn't want to speak to Lao Shi, didn't want to hear what Lao Shi had to say. He had said enough, explaining that Jake had to die. Jake didn't care when, or the specific circumstances. He just had to cling to the fact that he wasn't going to be Gramps' puppet in this prophecy. If Jake died, he died, but he was not going to follow Gramps to his own death.

Besides, he had somewhere he needed to be.

"Jake," Lao Shi reached out, placing his hand on Jake's shoulder. The teenager dropped out from under Lao Shi's touch, hitting the floor on his stomach. Following that he flipped his feet over his head, bouncing into a standing position, his body tense. The position, and the sequence of events that brought Jake there, stilled Lao Shi's breath. Jake was still fighting. The tasks around the shop to keep Jake in shape were certainly good for him, but that wasn't what Lao Shi thought of.

Lao Shi was thinking of how the prophecy loomed over them, something that they couldn't fight. He and Fu were trying, doing all they could to get the prophecy away from their lives, but Lao Shi didn't know how successful they were going to be. It was hard to accept Jake's death when Jake had been near lifeless already but to see a display of fight, of drive, from Jake, to have this proof of it, was going to kill Lao Shi.

Jake turned and fled up the stairs. He entered his bedroom and locked the door. He collapsed on his bed and watched himself shake. He didn't feel the shaking; he just watched his body respond to the emotions filling him. The emotions conflicted with each other, the emotions that were fighting for dominance and making him even more confused. He _wanted_ to not care about his death, but he did. He cared so much that he was willing to fight and that made him anxious. He hadn't wanted to fight against anything, but that was happening. He was hopeful about his recovery, which he felt was happening despite the fact that he had not been putting much effort into recovery. He knew why the recovery was happening. It was Rose.

She was, coincidentally, the main source of his confusion.

Jake had never really been interested in a girl before. He had been interested in girls as a whole from the time he hit puberty but he had never had time to really like a specific girl. Between school, dragon duties and, later, the drugs, there had never been anyone that Jake cared about beyond his family, Spud, and Trixie. Rose was something different. Rose was a light he had never seen before, with the way she spoke about him and the way she seemed to understand him. The fact that when he was apart from her, his mind was always on her and he was yearning for her, made him uneasy and ecstatic and confused all at once. If Jake had been logical he would have come to the conclusion that he had a crush on her, was well on his way to falling love with Rose.

Yet, Jake was not being logical.

Jake resisted logic. He was more involved with the deeper side of his mind, the side that thought of things that didn't relate to him. Jake would think all day about a piece of paper, had in fact done so, but he wouldn't, _couldn't_, think about Rose, something that personal, that close to him. He didn't realize this about himself, so he couldn't reverse it, not like some of his other habits.

There was a knock on his door and Jake jumped.

"JAAAAAAAAAAA_KE_." Haley's voice forced its way through the wood of his door. "Open _up_. It's Halloween and I want to go trick-or-treating."

Jake peeled himself off his bed, heading for the door. He hadn't realized it was so late. He knew Haley had been coming over, had been excited for it, in fact. He opened the door and glanced down at his sister who already had her costume on.

He gestured to her body. "Why?" Words, with Haley, were almost natural now. He barely had to think about using his voice.

"What do you mean why? My costume is _awesome_." Haley spun in a circle, showing off the full costume to Jake.

"What is it?" Jake hated that he had to ask, but the costume was confusing. She was wearing a black tank top, a black skirt, black tights, and tall black boots – all with rips in them. She had on heavy make-up; black lipstick, thick black eyeliner and fake lashes.

"I'm a rocker chick," Haley rolled her eyes. "I left my guitar downstairs on the couch. It looks better with it."

"Guitar?" Jake repeated.

"It's silver with sparkles," Haley nodded eagerly. "Where's your costume?"

"I don't have one," Jake replied. Was he supposed to get a costume? He always tried to outdo Haley with a costume, but he hadn't even thought of putting one on this year. He'd worn enough masks throughout the past few months –(or lack of a mask, if you thought about the way that he didn't even put on his own face sometimes) that dressing up for Halloween this year just seemed like a chore.

"Well that is boring." Haley rolled her eyes. "Can I give you a costume?"

Jake was hesitant to answer. Finally, he shrugged. "Okay."

"Great!" Haley exclaimed. "Sit!" She pointed to his desk chair and ran to his closet. "Do you wear these pants?" He shook his head no. "What about this shirt?" Again, no.

"Good!" Haley put the clothes on the bed. "Which drawer are your scissors in?" Jake pointed to the drawer on the left. Haley pulled out the scissors and cut his shirt and pants. "Put those on!" Haley bounced out of the room, shouting "I'll be right back!" behind her.

Jake watched her go, wondering what he had gotten himself into.

**The names of 88 and 89 are the names of their voice actors. I don't own anything recognizable. Any guesses on Jake's costume? Thanks to Noble6 for being a wonderful beta!**

**~TLL~  
**


	16. Tirelessly

Haley returned quickly, but not quickly enough to keep Jake's mind from swirling with ideas for his costume. He had obeyed her quickly, pulling on his shirts and pants. He had sat back down on his chair and picked at the tears in his clothes. His skin showed through. He poked at his skin, feeling his nail dig into his flesh. His nails left a half-moon impression on him but only for a few fleeting seconds, and then there was no evidence that they had ever been there in the first place. Humans were like that, he decided on a whim. They fought to leave an impression, digging and scraping and possibly hurting something to do it, but in the end it all faded away. There was no impression there, no tell-tale mark.

There would be a mark from him, he knew. Ages from now in the magical community, perhaps leaking into the human one, there would be a legend of the first American Dragon. Perhaps the legend would worship his sacrifice, as legends were wont to do. Or, perhaps, this legend would tell the truth, of how the American Dragon was shoved to his doom, the details of which he still did not know, by his trusted and loved mentor, leaving behind the title of American Dragon and the mind and body breaking duties to his little sister, who would be more than he ever would be.

He doubted they would know Haley's name.

He didn't have time to dwell on that fact – the fact that someday Haley would become irrelevant – because here she was, bustling into his room with a bowl and a little black bag.

"Now Jake," she said, "this may seem a little strange, but it's going to look fantastic."

"What is it?" He asked her, wondering how a face so full of life would someday be void of it.

"It's make-up and blood!" Haley informed him with a grin. "Have you figured out your costume yet?"

Jake shook his head. "What?" He repeated.

"Jake!" Haley exclaimed, almost insulted he hadn't discovered the answer. "You're going to be a zombie!"

Considering his thoughts of moments ago, Jake was tempted to laugh at the irony of it all.

(-.-)

"Huntsgirl," Master had summoned her to his chambers for dinner. Rose was picking at her meal, prepared by the best chefs in New York City.

"Yes, Master?" Rose lifted her eyes to his, gently.

"There have been some new details uncovered about the prophecy," Master revealed.

"Yes?" Rose asked. "What was it?" She didn't dare ask how he had acquired these details. She knew better, knew what had happened to the keeper of this information.

"The gems must be assembled on the midnight of the day the American Dragon first took on his dragon form. We must find out when this is. We have also discovered what the American Dragon must do in order to defeat us, and we must make sure this does not happen."

"Of course not," Rose shook her head. "It will not happen master."

"I know, Huntsgirl but we must be extremely sure, especially since you will be the one marching into battle and you must go alone."

"Alone?" Rose blinked. "I am fighting alone?"

"Will that be a problem?"

Rose instantly tapped down her worry. Of course it would not be a problem. She was a warrior and she would always defeat her opponent. "How must I do it?"

"You will retrieve all of the gems. You will assemble them at the place, which is still unknown. The gems will know that you are the one that brought them together again and will enhance your strength, speed, agility, and intelligence. This is permanent. The American Dragon will be at this place as well; if he is not in the place at the time he will be drawn there. You will have to cut his throat and let the blood drip. The gems will recognize the blood as that of a dragon and it will take this as a signal that the dragon race has finally been conquered.

"At this moment, all dragons in the world will perish. The supernatural powers that have filled you will flow through the rest of the Huntsclan, though perhaps not as strong. Because of this power, the Huntsclan will rise to power, enslave the magical world and be able to move onto the human one."

"It sounds so simple," Rose furrowed her brow.

"But the dragons will be fighting for the same thing," the Huntsmaster reminded her. "They will try to assemble the gems themselves and they have the advantage of knowing when the exact date is. The same thing will happen to them if they are the ones to assemble the gems; the supernatural power will fill the American Dragon. He will spill your blood and the Huntsclan will die the moment the crystals know it. The deviation with the Dragon is, however, that once his job is done the crystals will also accept him as a sacrifice, bringing the dragons to a permanent golden age."

Rose pursed her lips. "This means I cannot kill the American Dragon."

"No," the Huntsmaster agreed. "You cannot."

"What are my orders regarding the dragons now, Sir?" Rose asked.

"You must capture either the Chinese or American Dragon before February."

"Why February?" Rose asked.

"Because that is the last month we can be sure of that the date hasn't passed; the date of when the American Dragon became a dragon. We must extract that date from the dragons."

"Understood," Rose nodded. "However, if I may ask something?"

"Yes?" Huntsmaster nodded.

"When was the last time the American Dragon was seen? I have not seen him in the many months I have been in the United States."

Her question made Master pause. "You know, Huntsgirl," he said slowly. "I had not thought about it. I suppose he has been suspiciously absent for the past while. You should look into that as well."

"I will Master," Rose added it to her mental list of things to do_: capture a dragon, find out what happened to the American Dragon, train Nicholas and Kyle, get all of the gems, find out where all of the gems are, find the dragon nest, train more to be able to defeat the American Dragon on the unknown date, learn more of the duties I will face as Huntsmistress._ Rose felt exhausted just thinking about it.

"Very well," he sighed. "I have a hunch the dragons will be out tonight, you know how magical creatures like to play on Halloween, so will you take 88 and 89 out tonight and look for them."

"Yes, Master." Rose stood. "Master?"

"Yes, Huntsgirl?"

"Permission," she hesitated but then plowed on, "permission to wear a costume?"

If this Huntsman was surprised he did not show it. "You need to show some initiative Huntsgirl," he told her. "You may get your tasks from me but you are in control of how they are carried out. If you think a costume is necessary then, by all means, wear a costume."

Rose smiled softly, slipping out of the Huntsmaster's room and running for 88 and 89. They had to find costumes!

(-.-)

Jake stared at his reflection in the mirror. As Haley had instructed, he didn't dare touch his face but he was very tempted to. It didn't look like his face at all. Haley had done an exquisite job. His face was a pale white, his lips and eyes covered in black. Blood was specked over his entire body, dripping over his clothes and even onto his feet.

"Jake, are you ready to go trick or treating?" Haley had her guitar in her hands as she poked her head in his bedroom door. "'Cause I am! It's going to be awesome! I'm gonna get even more candy than last year! And this year I'll get to eat it all!" She turned accusing eyes on him, "this year you won't be around to eat it on me!"

Her mouth formed an 'o' as she realized what she had said. "Not that I don't like you being around, Jake, that's not it at all! I just like my candy but I wish you were home. I just wish that you didn't eat _everything_. Especially when it's my marshmallow treats. I love my marshmallow treats!"

"Me too," Jake told her, smiling slightly.

"When are you coming home Jake?" Haley asked. "Mom misses you and Dad doesn't know what to do. Unlike Mom, he doesn't understand at all. I know he doesn't call you and that's got to be upsetting but he's tried and he's broken down in tears every time he's done it and –" Haley stopped herself. "I'm not helping."

"Wanna go?" Jake asked, offering her his hand.

"Yes," Haley exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Haley chanted. "Let's go!" She reached out and grabbed his hand in her own. "I have a route all planned out and everything. It's the ultimate candy getting route that I compiled out of my many years of trick-or-treating. It's perfect, you'll see!" Haley assured him.

Jake had no doubt he would.

(-.-)

As exciting as costumes sounded, whipping them up at the last second was no easy task. Also, the trio had to take into account the fact that they were technically working tonight so it couldn't be anything flashy that made them stand out or something that would impede their fighting or climbing skills if it came to that. So, the three of them decided to go as matching ninjas, dressed in black with samurai swords at their sides. Rose hoped the swords looked fake enough that they wouldn't get arrested.

"Are you guys ready for a night out?" Rose asked as they exited the Huntsquarters.

"Yeah!" They said in unison.

"Remember your names?" Rose checked.

"Nicholas," said 89.

"Kyle," replied 88.

"Good," Rose smiled. "Let's get going!"

(-.-)

They were at what felt like the four hundredth house. Haley was still going strong, all bounces and giggles and armfuls of candy. Jake was simply grateful that his costume didn't require him to smile. He was supposed to look unhappy.

They were padding down yet another street. Jake's instincts felt out of whack tonight. Everything felt like a danger as the masks loomed from every space and faces that didn't belong to the people they were on growled and threatened and made him feel like attacking them all. It was down this street that Jake felt as though he were actually going to attack.

Three people, dressed in ninja costumes were slinking along the sides of the buildings. Most people didn't even notice their presence but Jake did. Two were tall and willowy while one was much shorter and slightly rounded. He felt creeped out by their catlike way of movement. They felt like predators and Jake felt like prey.

He turned to watch the trio as one, the tallest of them, turned to look at he and Haley. Instinctively, Jake reached for her, but she was already knocking on yet another door. The ninjas turned around and headed for him. When the leader was about five feet away from him, he who was frozen in place, the mask came off.

"Jake?" Said Rose. "Wow, you look awesome. Who did your make-up?"

Jake pointed to the door which Haley was currently standing, sweet-talking a nice older man out of a few extra candy bars.

"Haley, nice," Rose smiled. "Well, these are my brothers. This is Nicholas and this is Kyle."

The boys nodded at him but didn't remove their black masks. Jake swallowed, unnerved by their behavior.

Haley came bouncing back over to Jake. "He gave me _four_ kit-kats!" She exclaimed, opening her bag to show him the four bars which had been lost in the amount of candy she had accumulated. "Oh!" She exclaimed, noticing Rose. "Hi Rose. Nice costume."

"Thanks," Rose glanced down at her body. "But yours is so much cooler. Best rocker chick I have _ever_ seen."

"You think so?" Haley grinned. "Thank you!"

"No problem, honey!" Rose replied with as much enthusiasm as Haley had.

"Walk with us!" Haley demanded of Rose, grabbing onto her hand.

Rose was happy to.

88 and 89 were growing more uncomfortable by the second.

**I don't own anything recognizable.**

**Edited by Noble6.**

**~TLL~**


	17. Perpetually

"So these are my brothers," Rose gestured to 88 and 89 as they paused in front of a house for Haley.

Jake nodded at the duo. 88 fidgeted under his intense look and 89 tugged his mask up closer to his eyes.

"Do you remember me mentioning them? I think I forgot too until just a little while ago." Rose smiled. "This is Kyle and this is Nicholas." She gestured to each one respectively, forgetting that she had just done it moments ago. Jake lifted a hand in slight greeting, his alpha male instincts rising this time. He was not about to be intimidated by two younger kids in ninja masks.

"Nice to meet you," Kyle said softly when Rose looked at him for a response.

"Mmm," Nicholas agreed.

"Jake!" Haley yelled. "Come here!"

Jake whipped his head around at Haley's loud shout. He hurried toward her, hearing the distress in her voice. Rose went to step after him but 88 caught her sleeve.

"What the hell?" He demanded of her, speaking in low tones.

"Excuse me?" Rose asked him, narrowing her eyes.

"Your mask is off!" Exclaimed Nicholas, his breath whistling through his teeth. "You're talking to a boy, a civilian I might add. That is all against the Clan!"

Rose glanced over her shoulder, making sure that Jake and Haley were too far off to hear what she and her 'brothers' were discussing. "You came to me originally because you were questioning the Clan," she reminded them. "Do you remember what you were saying about them? Hmm?"

"Yeah but we're not you!" Kyle gasped. "We are not the Chosen One."

"Chosen One?" Rose repeated the words incredulously. "Who refers to me as the Chosen One?"

"Everybody," Nicholas rolled his eyes. "It's what you are."

"How do you figure?" Rose scoffed. "I'm another one of the Clan, like everyone else." Even as she said the words, she knew it wasn't true. She was in line to lead the Clan one day, second only to the Huntsmaster himself. The prophecy was also resting on her shoulders. She would be the one to lead the Clan into greatness; the one to rid the world of the Clan's greatest enemy: the dragons. She would be the one to bring the magical world to their knees, taking advantage of their newfound vulnerability without their dragon protectors. She would then lead the Clan on to enslave the human world and to be treated like royalty until the end of their days.

She suddenly felt much older than seventeen years.

"You aren't one of us," Kyle said urgently. "You are special. Not just because of the Huntsmistress thing. We don't know why but we know. The entire Clan can feel it and a lot of people don't like it."

"People don't like me?" She had long suspected as much, but no one had ever had the guts to voice it.

"People are afraid of you. No one knows what you've done," Nicholas explained. "There are rumors flying around of where you go and what you do but no one understands. People view you as this killing machine trained especially for the Huntsmaster's own use."

"Is that what people see me as? A puppet for the Huntsmaster?"

Nicholas nodded to over her shoulder. "They're coming back."

"What do we call you, sister?" Kyle asked, slight venom in his voice. "We're related, not even the same skin colour, I might add, and we don't even know you're name."

"My name is Rose and you are my adopted brothers," Rose explained quickly, feeling uneasy over giving the boys her name. Or perhaps it was because of her newfound knowledge of how the rest of the Clan perceived her. It was very unsettling. She would have to take the two aside later, when they got back to Huntsquarters, and find out more about how others saw her.

"Understood," the two said together.

"And be nice," Rose warned. She wouldn't ask them to take off their masks; she doubted another person had ever seen their face. She could ask them, however, to respect Jake and Haley. They had no idea what Jake had been through; she had no idea what he had been through. Still, she knew that he had been through a lot – would have been able to tell even without Trixie's warning – and it should have been obvious to them as well. Haley was young, much younger than the two of them, and they had no reason to say anything against her. That was one thing the Clan did teach: respect your elders and teach the youth.

"Always," Kyle said, with the smallest of smiles.

"Politeness has been engrained in us from birth," Nicholas reminded her, assuming that she'd had the same upbringing as both he and 88 had. He would be wrong on that count. Rose had never had to learn how to be polite because Clan members were trained to be vicious toward each other and polite toward their superiors. She'd never had a superior she had to be polite toward.

"Right," Rose nodded like she knew what they had been talking about.

Haley approached, her hand tucked in Jake's. Her make-up was smeared from her tears, rivers of black running down her cheeks. She was limping along, her candy bag in Jake's hand. She sniffled as she looked up at Rose, wiping the back of her hand.

"What happened?" Rose cooed, mimicking Haley's sad facial expression.

"Their dog," Haley sniffed, "dug a hole in their yard and I fell in it and hurt my ankle."

"Oh dear," Rose knelt, reaching for the leg that Haley wasn't putting any weight on. "Mind if I look?"

Haley shook her head and sniffed again, trying to hold back her tears. "Just don't hurt it."

Rose smiled softly. "I wouldn't." It was bittersweet for her, watching Haley cry over something as simple as a twisted ankle. At Haley's age, Rose was battling enemies twice as strong as she was and dragging herself back to whatever Huntsquarters she was stationed at, not allowed to cry even though her bones were broken and her kidneys were failing because of repeated blows.

Haley held out her ankle to Rose, balancing on Jake. Rose pulled up her pant leg, being especially gentle. It was barely swollen, but when Rose placed a fingertip on the flesh the little girl let out a whine. "Stop!" Haley commanded, "Stop! Rose, it hurts!"

"Sorry," Rose withdrew quickly. "You probably shouldn't walk on it anymore tonight."

"But I had a candy route!" Haley protested. "I had places to go and I had a schedule and I was going to get tons of candy!"

"You already have tons of candy," Rose gestured to the bag. "You did good kid."

"I wanted more," Haley pouted.

"I don't think anyone could eat that much." Rose reached for the bag. "I'll carry this, Jake will carry you and we'll get you home."

"Uh, sis," Kyle ventured, unable to say 'Rose', "What about that thing that, uh, our, uh, Dad asked us to do?"

"Oh," Rose paused, Haley's bag already in her left hand, "Why don't you two go on ahead and I'll contact you later."

"Where would you like to meet up?" Nicholas asked.

"Here," Rose reached up to her right ear and took off her communicator. "You take this one. I have another in my left ear. I'll call and see where you are once we get Haley home."

"All right," Kyle reluctantly reached for the communicator, disliking the plan. "We'll just be around the city, doing your job."

Rose narrowed her eyes. "It's not exactly my job. And you didn't have to come along." She smiled sweetly, counteracting her previous expression. "You can just go home if you want to."

"Nope," Nicholas snatched the communicator out of Kyle's hand. "We'll be out and around, waiting on your call."

"Deal," Rose rubbed his shoulder. "See you soon."

"Yup." Nicholas nudged Kyle's arm, pushing him in one direction. The two slipped between two buildings, out into the night.

Rose immediately turned her attention to Haley, helping her latch onto Jake. Haley hooked her hands around Jake's neck, securing her legs around his waist in a piggy back position. Rose made sure the top of the candy bag was closed and the trio headed off toward Haley's home.

"So, Haley," Rose started a conversation, "what grade are you?"

"Sixth!" Haley grinned widely. "I go to the middle school next year!"

"Wow," Rose smiled.

"What's middle school like?" Haley asked her.

"Uhm, I don't think my middle school was anything like yours." Rose replied, thinking of where she had gone to 'seventh grade'. She'd been in England at the time, and their school system, while similar to the American one in ways, was not the exact same.

Jake, meanwhile, tuned out their conversation. He was thinking of Rose's brothers and how they had said 'Dad'. He thought that she said she'd been raised by her uncle. He could have been wrong on that fact, however. That, though, soon also fell to the back of his mind. Instead, he found himself concentrating on Rose's hands like he had once before. This time, he wasn't thinking of what her hands could do, but rather her hand and where it could be. Namely, intertwined with his own fingers. For the first time, Jake wanted to be even closer to her than he had been the night he had fallen asleep next to her.

Shifting Haley slightly, he reached his arm out. He felt it stretch out, but he was still inches away from Rose's hand. Rose was oblivious to his clunky advance, chatting away as she was to Haley. She was also gesturing with her hands as she talked (they had moved on to clothes and Jake was even less interested in that) and he was not brave enough to reach out and snatch her hand out of the air.

Haley leaned her cheek against her brother's shoulder. She had noticed his hand and his attempt to take Rose's own in his. She hoped that he overcame his shyness soon. Haley liked Rose and she knew that Jake really liked Rose too. Rose would be good for Jake; she was already helping him out of his shell. Besides, Haley was confident she knew all about love, after all, her parents had been madly in love all of her life, she knew the signs. And the way Jake was looking at Rose, Haley was confident that it was some kind of love; maybe even the beginnings of love. She was still a little blurry on the details.

She felt Jake stop moving and she jerked against him. She picked her head off of Jake's back, glancing around. They had stopped in front her house.

"Are you going to come in?" Haley asked, hopeful. She wanted to see Jake in the house again. She had missed him. She couldn't walk to her room without passing his and she felt her heart ache every time. Every time she was sent back to the last day he was in the house and she saw, perfectly, his broken body with the bruises and scars, the way Fu had rushed to his side, bending worriedly over him and still felt the way Gramps had gripped her shoulders, urgency in his every muscle.

She wished all of those memories away.

Jake shook his head. Haley felt his hair whip against her face.

"Why not?" She pressed. "You haven't been home in ages."

Jake shook his head again.

"All right." Haley gave in. "You'll have to come home sometime though." She slid off of his back, wincing as her weight went onto her ankle.

Jake nodded and Haley collected her candy bag from Rose.

"It was nice to see you," she beamed.

"You too," Rose replied. "See you soon?"

"Yeah!" Haley cheered. She was excited to hear that. Without knowing it, she had begun to count on Rose for Jake's sake.

Haley limped up the steps and into the front door. She shut the door and peeked out the window, watching as Jake and Rose, instead of going in separate directions, went the same way.

**I don't own anything recognizable. Thank you to Noble6 for betaing!**

**~TLL~**


	18. Incessantly

Lao Shi reached for the phone. It had been mere minutes since Jake and Haley had gone out the front door decorated for Halloween. Lao Shi had treasured the sight of his grandchildren together, the prophecy weighing heavily on his mind. But it was not only the prophecy that was making his mind heavy tonight, though everything did lead back to it. He was reaching for the phone to call Susan and he had been dreading it. How could he possibly explain to her what her firstborn must do? And how could she ever explain their son's death to Jonothan? No, their son's disappearance. There wouldn't be a body to grieve over, there would just be the memory of Jake.

"Hello!" Susan's voice exclaimed.

"Susan," Lao Shi greeted in return.

"Dad, hey. Did the kids get out trick-or-treating all right?"

"Yes, yes," Lao Shi assured her. "The children are fine. I was actually wondering if you could stop over for a minute."

"Sure. Jon can hold down the fort. Is there anything wrong?" Susan asked but surely, if something happened to Jake then her father would have called her before, when it actually happened.

"We should talk in person," Lao Shi said gravely and hung up the phone, waiting for Susan to arrive.

(-.-)

"So which way are you headed?" Rose asked, playing with her fingers. It felt wrong, to be dressed so much like Huntsgirl, on a mission for the Huntsmaster, while standing next to Jake. She would never be Huntsgirl with him; she would always just be Rose.

Jake shrugged. He had nowhere in particular to go; he just knew that he didn't want to go back to Gramps'. If she wanted to walk with him, however, it would probably be a blessing. Being left alone on the New York streets might not be good to his health or recovery no matter how determined he was to stay on the right path. And he would be lying if he said he wouldn't enjoy her company because he would.

"Mind if I join you?" She glanced at him, hoping that he would like her to stay.

Jake shook his head. In no universe, this or alternate, would he reject her offer to walk next to him; he was honoured that she would even ask to walk with him.

"Excellent," she smiled. "I'll have to meet up with my brothers eventually but I don't really want to hang out with two teenaged boys on Halloween." She rolled her eyes. "I don't even want to know what they're planning on getting up to." Rose widened her grin, trying to look casual while turning up her communicator. She thought it unlikely that 88 and 89 would spot anything but she needed to know immediately if they did.

"So I've been thinking," Rose started as they moved into a residential area. Jake began to relax the further they got away from crowds and Rose noticed the physical changes. "We should go to a movie."

Jake glanced at her. Given his distaste for crowds, how could she think a movie was a good idea?

"Don't give me that look," she joked, bumping her shoulder against him. He didn't flinch at the casual contact and Rose felt her heart swell. "I know you and I know you don't like crowds so I was thinking that we could go to a later showing and a movie that's almost out of theatres. There will be like no one there. What do you say?"

Jake pretended to think about it but it didn't require any thinking at all. Of course he would go with her, especially since she had put so much thought into accommodating his needs. There weren't many people who would do that –even Spud and Trixie had not been inviting out as of late. Not that Jake blamed them; he wasn't going anywhere and he was only holding them back. Jake resolved to try to go somewhere with them depending on whether or not the prophecy had come around yet.

"Jake?" Rose prompted, sensing that he had gotten lost in his own thoughts.

Jake looked over at her, bringing his lips to a slight smile. He nodded and was immediately enamored with the way her face brightened.

"I was hoping you would!" She exclaimed. "Now, I didn't pick a movie because I didn't want to be a control freak, even though I kind of am." She giggled. "What kind of movie would you like to see?"

Jake didn't care. He was trying to find courage to reach for her hand, knowing that this time he would be able to grab it and hold it. He had held her hand before, of course, he remembers it prominently. Still, he's fully aware that she's a class and a half above him and she's so much _more_. She's beautiful and intelligent and he wonders why she even wants to spend time with him outside of school.

"Do you do well with horror?" She continues, unaware that he's only semi-listening to her.

He's listening enough, however, for his mind to create the sarcastic thought that his everyday life is a horror.

"I love horror movies," Rose gushes. "Not so much the blood and gore," she gets too much of that with her 'job', "but I love the suspense part. I think it's my mind though. It doesn't like to be bored so I love the challenge of trying to figure out the mystery before it's revealed."

Jake suddenly pictures her as Sherlock Holmes. He decides that she would make a very good detective, and rather than finding the image humorous, it scares him. What if she finds out his secret? As he thinks it, he's also faced with the thought of what secret he's talking about. It may be the dragon, which is such a conflicting thing right now that Jake doesn't even know if it's possible for other people to figure out. Or it could be the drugs. Jake has never considered that a secret before – everyone seems to know that Jake Long went off the deep end and fucked himself up – but Rose doesn't know that. Rose wasn't here last year when he was having his meltdown and being shipped off to rehab. All Rose knows is that he was traumatized; perhaps by something outside of his control. He wonders if she thinks him weak enough to give into the temptation of drugs (despite the hell that drove him there).

He also wonders if she would consider him strong for walking away.

"Jacob."

Jake freezes. If he were an English teacher holding a novel in her hand and describing the novel to her students, he would call this moment 'ironic'.

"Need to talk to you."

Jake doesn't move from his spot. The voice isn't seductive anymore, doesn't hold the same pull. Maybe it's because the voice isn't the answer and he knows that now.

"Jacob," the voice is angry now, but still silken, refined despite the ruffian appearance of its owner. "Talk to me."

Jake has almost forgotten about Rose until the flash of golden hair makes him realize she's turned around to face Andrew.

"Who are you?" She asks.

(-.-)

Susan is staring at her hands. They're shaking.

"Are you sure he has to?" She asks her father, voice tight with tears. It's a ridiculous question, and she knows it. Lao Shi loves his grandchildren and has done everything he can to protect them; has done so since the day they were born and doubled his efforts when they both began displaying dragon powers.

Especially Jake, Susan knows. Not that her father didn't treasure Haley as much but her father had known that Jake, being the first dragon to ever be born on American soil, would hold much more responsibility than his sister would. Neither Susan, nor her father, nor anyone else, however, had realized what Jake's life would come to; a drug habit and a prophecy that would put more weight on his shoulders than anyone should ever have to bear.

"Susan, I have been trying to figure a way out of this since I knew that it must be him." Lao Shi hesitates, wondering if he should add in Fu's plan to capture and kill the Huntsgirl.

"Have you found anything?" Susan begs. "Please, Daddy. Not my little boy."

"My dear," Lao Shi reaches over and captures his daughter's hand in his own. He thinks back to many years before when Susan had been Jake's age and how his daughter has changed and grew in that time. He had hoped to live to see Jake reach Susan's point; the family, the good job, the confidence that she carried about her history and her life. "Fu came up with a plan to dispose of the Huntsgirl so there will be no Huntsmistress but I fear it may not be as effective as we once thought."

"Why isn't that effective?" Susan demanded, her voice shrill.

"I have spent a lot of time over the past few months researching the prophecy in great detail," Lao Shi began. "The prophecy states that the future Huntsmistress only has to begin to exert control. The Huntsgirl, I'm afraid, has been doing that for many years as the other members of the Clan –sans Theron – are her subordinates. And while the Huntsclan has the best chance at victory if the Huntsgirl is the one to fight Jake in the end, she does not need to be the one to do it.

"And, no matter what, the Element Dragons will need a dragon sacrifice. They need the Dragon Gem on the anniversary."

"This is confusing," Susan put her head in her hands. "How will the Element Gems take the sacrifice if there is not to be a fight between the Clan and the Dragons?"

"From my understanding," Lao Shi said slowly, knowing that his understanding wasn't near as high as he wished it would be, "there will be a fight no matter what. The Gems will assemble themselves and through ancient powers draw the Huntsmistress and newest Dragon to the meeting place."

"So why the fight to assemble the gems?"

"The Gems will give the person who assembled them extra powers, giving them an extra life."

"So even if the Clan loses, it's still Jake they take as a sacrifice?" Susan's voice wavered. Her poor baby, her poor, poor baby.

"They need a dragon, yes," Lao Shi nodded. "They will take the sacrifice no matter what. I don't know how we can save him."

"But you're going to try?" Susan pushed.

"We are going to try," Lao Shi nodded. "As of right now I am still determined to stick to the plan of getting rid of the Huntsgirl. As I said, she is the Huntsclan's best chance at winning and, no matter the personal price for us; we have to make sure the Huntsclan does not win. Because the Huntsclan winning would mean the end of everyone who possesses dragon blood, not just the dragons themselves."

Susan opened her mouth to say something, but her emotions took over. She fell into her father's shoulder and cried. He wrapped his arms around her and did not say a word, nor did he let her see the tears that were also running down his cheeks.

(-.-)

"Ooh," Andrew sneered. "A girlfriend."

Rose, to her credit, doesn't react. "I asked you a question." She's relaxed. This man does not frighten her. He's a weak human and would be no trouble to her if it came to a fight.

"Feisty," Andrew smirks. "My name is Andrew, darling."

"Don't call me darling," Rose snaps.

"Why don't you head on home?" Andrew is next to her now and she can smell the foulness of the New York streets clinging to him. "Jacob and I need to talk."

Rose is almost amused by his choice of words. "Jake and I are leaving." Rose turns to walk away from him, to take her place next to Jake and continue on their way.

Andrew grabs her by the shoulder, pulling her back. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that_, darling_," his breath washes over her face and she wants to gag.

"Let go," she says, her tone low and threatening.

Andrew snakes an arm around her waist, holding her even more taunt to his body. Jake's blood begins to boil at seeing Rose in Andrew's grasp; she's much too fine to be touched by_ him_.

"_Let go_," Rose's voice is darker, heavier with violence.

Unfortunately for Andrew, he doesn't listen.

**Thank you to my extraordinary beta: noble6! I don't own anything recognizable.**

**~TLL~**


	19. Repeatedly

Rose yanked Andrew's hand forward, trying to knock him off balance. He went down as she had hoped, but she saw_ it_ when he did. She saw _it_ and her breath flew into her throat, sticking there. She drew her elbow in between his shoulder blades, knocking him to the ground. She dropped her knee to the small of his back, pinning them and the knelt down to his ear, hoping she looked like she was threatening him.

Instead, she whispered, "you have the mark of the Huntsclan."

Andrew, who had been struggling beneath her, suddenly froze in place.

"You know the Clan?" he said out of the corner of his mouth, well aware of Jake's presence.

"I am of the Clan." Rose said. "What is your assignment?"

"Classified." Andrew returned. "You don't have enough clearance, cadet."

"Cadet?" Rose growled. "You think a lowly cadet would be on the streets, unmasked?"

"No," Andrew said. "I wasn't aware anyone else was allowed out unmasked."

"My mark is on my right forearm." Rose dug her knee deeper into his back so that he groaned. She resented being called a cadet by someone who was her subordinate. "Does that mean anything to you?"

"The only person in the Clan with a mark on their right forearm is the …" Andrew stopped as she realized who she was. "Huntsgirl?"

"Now, what is your assignment?" They couldn't stay in this position for long. Jake would get suspicious of their lack of movement.

"I give out drugs laced with a special mix. If a magical creature disguised as a human gets some of it, they become addicted. They take it long enough, it's fatal. Of course, humans, like Jake, get addicted too. It's a source of income for the Clan."

"Leave him alone from now on," Rose warned.

"He one of us?" Andrew asked.

"No." Rose didn't elaborate.

"Right. Leave Jake alone." Andrew nodded. "Got it, Huntsgirl."

"What are you, in the Clan?"

"An officer," Andrew squawked. "Huntsboy number 22."

"Do you live in the Huntsquarters?"

"Technically." Andrew said. "I don't end up there most nights but yeah."

"Be in tonight. Four a.m. Meet me and my seconds at my quarters at that time."

"Yes, Huntsgirl."

Rose stood up, giving Andrew a kick in the ribs. He winced. "Come near either of us again and you'll be sorry," she warned, loud enough for Jake to hear. She then flitted to Jake's side.

"Let's go." She takes his hand again and they begin to walk, this time angling more toward civilization. Rose looks back over her shoulder, to see Andrew picking himself up. He catches her gaze and salutes her. Rose gives a brief nod and turns back around.

"What a creep," she says to Jake. Jake nods in agreement.

He tightens his fingers around her hand, trying to figure out this possessive feeling that is roaring inside of him. Rose isn't _his_ to possess. Even if he was normal, even if she was (by some miracle) his girlfriend, she was a person. People couldn't be possessed. Yet, his feelings were telling him that he wanted to possess her and he didn't quite understand it.

"So, have you thought of a movie you wanted to see?" She asked.

Jake shook his head and gestured to her.

"All right, I'll pick." And she began to list off movies that she was _fairly_ certain were in theatres right now.

Jake isn't even sure if Rose is single. Sure, she's never mentioned a boyfriend before, but she hadn't mentioned her brothers for a long time and they were important. Perhaps she was in some sort of long distance relationship from her last school and it was painful to talk about. Perhaps Jake was just trying to talk himself out of liking her. That was a very real possibility.

"You know, I should get back to my brothers." Rose reached up and flicked the communicator on. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Ewww," Kyle's voice sounded loud in her ear, but so low that Jake didn't even notice. "Don't you dare kiss him."

"Meet you at the theatre at nine?"

Jake nodded.

"Bye," Rose called, strutting away. "Why are you so immature?" She said into the communicator as soon as she was out of earshot.

"I'm fifteen." Kyle said in way of explanation. "Clan can't change that."

"Maybe they haven't tried hard enough," Rose mused.

"What?" Kyle asked.

"Nothing. Any activity?" Rose pulled her mask over her face and took the roofs of New York. Some found roof travelling inconvenient but when you were trying to keep an eye on the sky, it was one of the easiest ways.

"Nothing. Usually there's something going on at Halloween, but this year, there's nothing. I don't know what it is."

"I do!" Rose exclaimed, suddenly realizing. No wonder the American Dragon wasn't around; he was _training_. Same as she was. He was preparing himself for the day of the prophecy, with who knows what kind of an advantage. The Clan may have more stones – Fire and Water versus their Earth – but the dragons would know the day everything was happening. "That son of a bitch," she muttered.

"What's going on?" Kyle asked, ignorant of the prophecy.

"Nothing," Rose covered again. "What's your location?"

Nicholas shouted an address from the background.

"I'm two blocks away," Rose told them. "I'll be there shortly."

(-.-)

Jake stumbled into the shop, feeling more elated than he had before. He felt like any other teenage boy who had a maybe date with the girl they really liked the next day. He didn't know what he was supposed to do in this situation, except to wait eagerly for tomorrow evening. Or even just tomorrow at school, for when he had Rotwood's class second period. It was becoming a need for him to be near her, maybe because of just how different she was from him.

He was intoxicated with the way she lived life; a smile on her face and ignorant from the worries that may or may not come to plague her all too soon. Perhaps that was why she and Haley seemed to get along so well. They both saw things with an eye of innocence and a purity of heart.

Speaking of Haley … Jake hoped she was okay. He hadn't seen anything too wrong with her ankle when she had limped up the front steps of their house. He had almost missed her and Rose's chatter, though he feared Haley was far too perceptive. Hadn't she, from the very first day she had met Rose, said she was pretty and asked if he had talked to her? Talking had been a huge thing for him then –even bigger than it was now – and Haley had asked him about a complete stranger!

He wondered if she didn't have a little bit of psychic in her yet.

"Jake," Gramps' voice drew him out of his thoughts and made him aware of just how strange it was that he was leaning against the front door, utterly still. "Your mother is here."

Jake didn't move, though his fingernails dug into the wood of the door. Why was Susan here? He hadn't seen her since their disastrous lunch date and, though he didn't want to fear his mother, he feared her presence. The last time he had been with her, he had run to Andrew. And now, after Rose had beat him up (he still hadn't had time to figure_ that_ out) Andrew might not even be there to run to.

Jake didn't bother to remind himself that he didn't need Andrew anymore, didn't need the drug, because on some level, he was already aware that he would always be searching for the demon.

"Jake," Susan appeared from the backroom of the shop. "How are you?"

How was he? That didn't matter. What mattered was: Haley's ankle, what Rose was doing, how Trixie and Spud were doing, how the rest of his family was. Everything, everyone, but he mattered. He was simply the sacrificial lamb, awaiting the word of slaughter from Gramps.

"Your grandfather was just telling me about the prophecy."

Jake's hand stopped trying to claw its way through the door, instead reaching for the knob.

"You can't run away from this," Susan warned.

Jake could try.

"We need to talk about it, see if we can find a way out of here."

Jake didn't know if he would ever be able to talk to anyone normally again. He didn't even use full sentences with Haley.

"Come sit down," Susan gestured to the couch in the backroom.

Jake felt like the walls of the house were going to collapse in on him. He threw the door open, slipping back out into the night.

The cool air seeped around him as he ducked into a side street. Rose was long gone, and he was partially glad for it. He could feel a mental break coming, and he didn't know how to handle it. He felt his emotions bubbling and broiling under the surface of what was his flesh. He opened his mouth and a roar came out – not a human shout but a dragon roar. Jake reached over and punched at the brick wall with his very human hand and human blood sprang from the newly formed wounds.

Jake then began to run. He ran away from that place, from the roar, from the future that awaited him and from the expectations that were climbing every second.

(-.-)

Three-thirty.

Rose stood up, her aching, cold muscles feeling creaky. "Back to Headquarters," she said to 88 and 89, who scrambled up along with her.

"That was a bust." Kyle complained.

"At least a dragon fire could have kept us warm," Nicholas grouched.

"It's not that bad, compared to some places," Rose commented cryptically. "We must move swiftly."

"Why?" Kyle stretched out his stride to try to keep up with her powerful one. "Are you expecting this building to go up in flames or something?"

"Warmth," Nicholas sighed the word, as though by simply imagining a fire, he could be warm once again.

"No. I'm expecting a visitor at four and I don't want to be late."

"What kind of a nut job are you expecting at four in the morning?"

"Boyfriend?" Nicholas suggested, struggling to make his frozen feet keep pace with the others.

"A Clan member." Rose corrected. "And higher than you two in the hierarchy. I ran into him this evening while he was out on special assignment. I am hoping that, in his time out and around the city, he noticed something that we, in our short time looking, have not."

"You mean people other than you get to go outside?"

"If you demonstrate outstanding loyalty to the Clan and great skills then, yes, there are assignments that require members to go into the outer world, or to be moved to other Headquarters other than the New York one."

"I want that." Kyle said bluntly.

"I as well."

Rose hoped that they got their wish, though she was unsure of how the Clan would continue after the prophecy came to pass. If the Clan did, indeed, enter their golden age, then there would be no need for special assignments like the ones she was referring to. There would be needs for other things, but there would be no need for hidden identities.

If she failed, and the Clan did not enter their golden age, then 88 and 89 would not live to realize their dreams.

Rose discretely scanned her fingerprints before the door of the Huntsquarters, 88 and 89 copying her. She slipped into the building, which appeared deserted as everyone but the night watchmen – a lowly job in the clan if there ever was one – were asleep.

She, Nicholas and Kyle took the elevator up to their floor, unlocking the door.

"Change out of these costumes and into your Huntsclothes," she ordered. When the door to their room clicked shut, Rose locked it from her side. Quickly, she shimmied into her dress, the one that marked her as a higher rank than Andrew, and unlocked the connector door before 88 and 89 realized it was latched.

They had just rejoined her when there came a knock.

**Thanks to my beta Noble6. I don't own anything recognizable.**

**~TLL~**


	20. Neverending

Rose opened the door and did a double take as Andrew walked in. She had been expecting him to be in his street clothes (a silly notion, but still, it is what she had expected) and he was, instead, in his Hunts garb.

"Is there any point in the masks?" He asked her, and she could see the skin around his eyes crinkle as his mouth moved into a smirk.

"That's up to you," Rose responded. "Everyone in this room has seen my face."

Andrew reached up and tugged his mask off – a gesture that drew a gasp from 88 and 89.

"Your face!" squeaked Nicholas.

"Rather handsome, isn't it?" Andrew struck a pose.

"You take your mask off?" Kyle asked, still trying to understand. The longer he spent around the Huntsgirl the more his views of the Clan began to change.

"Why not?" Andrew shoved the mask in his pocket, and glanced around the room. "You have a much better setup than I do, Huntsgirl."

"Of course I do," Rose said smugly.

"If I may be frank, why am I here?" Andrew seated himself in an oversized armchair next to the door. "I am, of course, here to cater to your every whim if that is what you so desire, but I don't think you desire any catering, do you Huntsgirl?"

Rose looked him in the eye, and tilted her chin up. "Call me Rose."

"Rose," Andrew repeated. "Pretty. Now, is that your real name or is it the one the clan handed to you on a silver platter, like everything else in this perfect little room?"

"If you're going to belittle me, don't hide behind cute words," Rose demanded. "I didn't bring you here so you could demean what I do." _Especially,_ Rose added in her mind, _since he has no idea how much his own life is riding on me._

"At least you have a backbone." Andrew crossed, then uncrossed his legs.

"Explain to me exactly what you do."

"Many magical creatures will disguise themselves as human in order to venture out into this world. I get them hooked on the stuff – most are young and ignorant. If they are magical creatures, and continue to take it long enough, they will eventually die."

"This is a sure thing?" Rose pinned him down with her eyes.

"Every magical creature we know of has died after long term exposure." Andrew stopped drumming his fingers. "Except for dragons. We were never able to contain one of them long enough to test it on them."

"What does it do to humans?"

"You mean Jake?"

"Is that her boyfriend?"

Rose heard low snickers behind her at 88's comment. "Let me remind you that you are here by invitation only. You kids don't need to be here while the grownups talk."

"Grownups?" Kyle scoffed. "You're like what, sixteen? That's a year older than me."

"I'm a little older than sixteen," Rose said. She didn't bother to add anything, because when she said 'grownups' she wasn't referring to their ages (perhaps a little). She was referring to the fact that they were unsoiled – amazingly innocent for fifteen years in the Clan. She had no innocence; her hands stained by the blood of many. She didn't know the details of Andrew's past but when she looked at him she could see herself. She could see the child that had grown up too soon; the weight of responsibility bowing would-have-been-carefree shoulders. "And don't forget to show respect."

Rose turned back to Andrew.

"Perhaps it would be best if we spoke without them," he suggested. "There are a lot of things that you know, that I know, that I assume they are not privy to."

"You would assume correctly."

"But they are your subordinates," Andrew recognized. "So if you would wish to dismiss them that would be your decision alone."

Rose glanced at 88 and 89, sitting straight up, eyes trained on her.

"They are instrumental in one of missions at this point. I feel as though it would be a step backward to dismiss them."

"Very well." Andrew inclined his head. "You were talking about Jake earlier, were you not?"

"Of course I was."

"It's dangerous to get involved with the outside world," Andrew warned.

"I see where you are coming from, but not only is it none of your business, it is my decision."

Andrew gave a wry grin to the wall. He'd never interacted with Huntsgirl before. Now that he was, he was finding that he was rather enjoying her. She was an enigma, but that was to be expected – most of the superiors were.

"As for your question, it would affect a human like any ordinary drug. They are immune to the fatal magical elements."

"What was Jake on?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?"

Before Andrew could process anything, the Huntsgirl was in his face. She was a breath away from him, noses nearly touching. He could see the anger in her eyes; the small flare that revealed just how dangerous she really was. He gripped his slick black pants, fingernails digging into the flesh the garment hid. He would never admit that she frightened him, but she had. She had moved so swiftly, so unexpectedly, and the way she was looking at him, with murder in her eyes, made him want to shrink away from her.

"Because you fucked him up too bad," Rose growled into his ear. "And if I find out that you gave him anything else, I will gut you like a fish and no one will question it because of my position."

Andrew gulped, shying away from her as much as he could in the confined space. "I understand completely." The threat was unnecessary; the moment she had locked eyes with him and mentally done him in, he would have stayed away from Jake forever. Shame, because the kid had put a lot of money into the Clan but who was Andrew to try to control something the Huntsgirl already possessed.

Rose backed away from Andrew. "How do you feel toward the Clan?" She asked.

Andrew met her eyes, once again, and this time, he was not afraid. This time, he understood that, somehow, they were on the same page.

(-.-)

Jake slowed as he reached the familiar street – familiar to him as his own, or Gramps'. He moved across the sidewalk, narrowly avoiding being hit by a taxi cab. He approached the home that, again, was as familiar to him as Haley. He knocked softly on the door, knowing Spud was a light sleeper and would hear the knock. Sure enough, Jake heard approaching footsteps not even a minute later. The door creaked open.

"Jake?" Spud rasped, taking in his friend's appearance.

It was only then Jake thought of how he must look, winded and broken from the long walk, bloodied with the ghastly make-up Haley had applied only hours earlier.

He lifted his hand in greeting.

"Get inside. It's freezing out." Spud opened the door a crack and Jake stumbled in. Exhaustion was finally setting in, and his joints creaked, his feet ached and his lungs struggled for breath.

"Get to the bathroom, clean yourself up," Spud said, reaching for a facecloth from the hall closet. "Then we can talk about where you were and what you were running away from."

Jake obeyed, heading to the bathroom. He barely looked at his reflection as he scrubbed away the fake blood and make-up. All he could think of the entire time was that _he hadn't done it._ He hadn't even gone looking for Andrew; hadn't strayed toward that corner of the city. He began to feel a sort of pride in himself begin to bubble. He hadn't done it. He checked himself in the mirror to make sure everything was gone, and then bounded for Spud's room. He was seized with the want for Spud to know – for Spud to be proud of him too.

He walked into Spud's room and stopped. Spud was not in his room. Curiously enough, however, somehow else was. A girl that Jake recognized on sight: Trixie. Jake's stomach clenched as he took in her sleeping form, the blankets riding up, covering up everything but her bare shoulders, implying that she was nude.

There came a tap on Jake's shoulder. He whirled around to face Spud. "Living room," Spud said, leading his best friend away from the sleeping girl in his bed.

Jake followed Spud to the couch, and sat across from him. He met his friend's eyes, hoping that his facial expressions would convey all the questions he hadn't yet been able to formulate in his mind.

"Well," Spud leaned back on the couch, relaxed as always. "That was quite a way for you to find out about Trixie and me, though it could have been worse. We were going to tell you, but I just couldn't think of a right time. We wanted to be there for you, instead of you trying to figure out a new dynamic.

"I didn't think there would be a new dynamic. We're all just best friends and we'll always be here for one another, right?" Spud looked at Jake, and still saw questions written on his face. "We started just before you came home from rehab. I know that's a long time but … see above reasons."

Jake nodded, looking down at his lap to digest the information. If he were to be honest, and he was trying to, he would say that he wasn't surprised Spud and Trixie ended up how they did. He had seen it coming from many years away, back when they were in middle school and Spud and Trixie had gone to a dance as "just friends". Jake had seen more but hadn't said a word. It was up to them to discover one another as a love interest, if they ever did. And, obviously, they had.

Jake met Spud's eye again and gave a small smile.

Spud smirked in return. "Let's just take a second to be thankful you didn't wake her up. She'd be scarier than … Well, there's really nothing scarier."

Jake allowed his smile to grow, just a little.

"But why are you here?" Spud asked, getting to the real point. "It's almost dawn."

Jake looked down at his hands.

"You can't keep running Jake. You can't take off every time something scares you."

Jake wanted so badly to tell Spud the details, explain to Spud what was going to happen to him very soon. But Jake didn't have the words; the heart. Instead he rolled up his sleeves, revealing the numerous needle marks – prominent despite scarring from dragon fights. He allowed Spud to take them in, before he opened his mouth.

"I didn't."

Unexpectedly, for Jake, Spud grabbed him into a hug.

"That is probably one of the greatest things you've ever said to me." Spud told him. Jake hugged his friend back, clinging to the solidity that Spud was offering.

"You tired?" Spud said, breaking the hug after an appropriate amount of time.

Jake nodded, not even wanting to think about waking up in a few short hours for school. His brain reminded him about seeing Rose for the movies later, and he perked up a little.

"I'll set you up in the guest room," Spud offered. "We have to be up crazy soon anyway."

Jake nodded, though Spud couldn't see. He followed Spud up the guest bedroom, crawling straight to the bed since dawn light was beginning to creep over the city.

"Jake," Spud was lingering by the door. "I'm so glad you are doing better."

Jake could hear the tears clogging up in Spud's throat.

"I know I gave you a big speech last time you were here, and I'm not going to do that again. I just want you to know that you are my best friend in the entire world, and I can't stand the thought of losing you."

Jake closed his eyes against the words; against his mind, picturing Spud's face when he realized, his best friend, was dead.

**I don't own anything recognizable. Thanks to my lovely beta Noble6!**

**~TLL~**


	21. Unremittingly

Jake couldn't decide who looked more exhausted, him or Rose. Granted, it was still early (only second period) but Rose wasn't even being perky.

"Sorry I'm not very talkative," she apologized in a low voice after Rotwood had set everyone up with magical creature anatomy sheets to label.

Jake shrugged. He could understand not talking. It would be odd if Rose stopped talking (he had grown to love and treasure her seemingly mindless chatter) but if she wanted to, he of all people should understand.

"It was a long night." She yawned, and the slight rasp from her voice made goose bumps erupt on Jake's skin.

He could sympathize with that. Her pretty face had the same dark circles as his decidedly less pretty face did. At least her bruises had disappeared.

"But," she smiled brightly, and Jake was taken aback by just how lovely Rose was, "I'll be fine for the movie tonight. You still okay with going?"

Jake nodded. Okay with going? Thinking of seeing Rose tonight, of having her next to him for a few hours, was the only thing that was keeping him awake right now. He was not much for dreaming (in his old life, he had already been a hero, what more could he have dreamed of? And in this life, there was not enough left of it for dreaming) but he was caught in a daydream today.

In his daydream he was normal when he met her for the movies. He was one of those guys that girls always seemed to go for – cool, charming, popular, good looking. Rose was exactly the same; he was unable to improve her, even in his wildest imaginings. He would be able to pick her up in his car, because he would be able to have his license because neither the dragon nor the drugs would have gotten in the way. He would be able to make easy conversation on the way to the movies – he would make her laugh (it was something that Jake wished he could do, he loved her laugh) – and he wouldn't have to think about taking her hand. He would just do it.

They would get to the movie theatre and he would pay for everything, just like it was a proper date. In his daydreams, it _was_ a proper date. He would have asked her out (probably being a shy teenage boy despite how he perceived himself in this daydream) and she would have accepted with one of her glittering smiles. They would get popcorn (a bag to share with separate drinks) and find their seats in the dark theatre. The movie would start, and just when she would least expect it, he would pull the signature move – the yawn and put your arm around the girl. She would think it was cheesy, but cute and giggle. She would lean into him and his heart would be hammering because she wanted to be near him.

Near the end of the movie, so as to not distract her from the highlight of the film, he would kiss her. And it would be perfect. Her lips would be soft and sweet, he would lick the butter from the popcorn off of her lips, scooping her into his arms. She would hold him back, and when they had to break for air, her eyes would be glazed over or something equally sweet, to show how much she had enjoyed it.

They would hold hands the whole drive home, with another goodbye kiss as she exited the car, waving. He would promise to call her, and it would lead to a whole string of proper dates.

Jake shook off the daydream, however, as he sat down across from Trixie at lunch. He was fighting living in that place of dreams. Reality was where he should keep his head, because reality was what he was faced with. Though, he let himself acknowledge that he didn't always face reality – his impending doom was a prime example. He always ran away from that. He didn't want to know the details, no how no way.

"Jake."

He flicked his eyes to Trixie, who was absently playing with her fork. He wanted to tell her that she should eat. Her salad didn't look like enough for lunch.

"Can I explain this morning to you?"

He didn't need this morning explained. Spud had said all that Jake had needed to hear in the pre-dawn hours. Trixie hadn't known that. And when she had run smack into Jake at 6:30 A.M. wearing only one of Spud's t-shirt, her skin had gone several shades darker with a sinful blush. She had stuttered something that he hadn't been able to make out, before crawling into the bathroom he had just vacated.

Jake nodded anyway.

"I think I love him."

Jake, who had let his head tilt down to stare at the cream colour of the table, suddenly snapped his neck back. His jaw dropped as he met his best friend's eyes. Out of all the things he might have expected Trixie to say (like echoing Spud's words from earlier _"we were going to tell you"_) this was definitely not something he had been prepared to hear. Even if he had been speaking, he would have been out for words.

"I can't believe I just said that." Trixie was blushing again. "But it's true. I've known him forever and I've always felt something for him, I just couldn't admit it because, god, it was _Spud_. But then he kissed me, really kissed me and everything changed!" She buried her face in her hands, letting out a muffled, "I sound like such a girl."

That much Jake could agree with. It was the closest Trixie had ever come to sounding like one of those stereotypical teen girls … Well, the closest Jake had ever heard.

Trixie peeked out at Jake from between her fingers. "Has he said anything to you, about how he feels about me?"

Jake shook his head. He couldn't offer Trixie the words she wanted to hear; the knowledge she wanted to have. Even if Jake had the knowledge and the means to communicate it, he wouldn't have. His best friends were a couple and this meant that he had to keep the words they couldn't yet bring themselves to say to each other to himself. If Trixie loved Spud, she would tell him when she was ready. And if Spud loved Trixie, he would tell her when he was ready.

Jake thought the entire thing was cute. Like a fluffy kitten of sorts.

"Jake, Trix." Spud appeared, loaded lunch tray in hand. He took a seat beside Trixie and kissed her lightly on the cheek before delving into a burger.

Jake definitely thought they were a fluffy kitten.

"So," Trixie said with a smile, pinning her eyes on Jake. "Did I hear right in Magical Creatures?"

Jake avoided eye contact.

"What about Magical Creatures?" Spud asked through a mouthful of meat.

"Are you and Rose going on a _date_?" Trixie asked, grinning widely.

"A date?" Spud swallowed quickly. "Dude, that's awesome."

Jake didn't know how to tell them it wasn't a date – mostly because he didn't know if they were wrong. Had Rose been asking him on a date? Or was she simply being nice? Or were they just friends?

Jake sighed. Liking people was complicated.

(-.-)

"Did a bomb go off in here?"

Rose stood up, put her hands on her hips and glared. "Shut up Kyle."

Kyle leaned against the door that linked their rooms. "I would, if I was saying it to be sarcastic, but I'm not. Seriously, did you volunteer your room to be the new weapons testing facility?"

"Still not funny." Rose kicked at a pile of clothes that had managed to find its way out of her closet in her quest to find something to wear to the movies. "Where's Nicholas?"

"He blew up some chemical mixture in the lab. He's cleaning for the next few hours."

"Rookies," Rose muttered. She didn't want to mention that she had blown up a lab in Russia not too long ago.

"What are you doing anyway?" Kyle cleared a spot off of the armchair in the corner of her room and sat down.

"Trying to find something to wear." Rose tucked her hair behind her ears. "I'm going to the movies with Jake tonight."

"A date?"

"Maybe, I don't know."

"Because you do have a mission – we're supposed to be finding the dragons."

"I know what we're supposed to be doing," Rose snapped. "I know a hell of a lot more than you do regarding such things."

Kyle blinked, but was hardly fazed at her outburst. "I'm well aware of that. I'm just … I want to be able to help you."

"Help me?" Rose repeated the words, momentarily stumped by his meaning.

"You know …" Kyle blushed. "You and Andrew, what you talked about …"

"Oh!" Rose gasped. "Kyle … there is so much going on behind that, I don't know what to tell you."

"I think it's the right thing. Maybe. I don't know."

"It was just a conversation." Rose pursed her lips. "But if anything else happens, I will include you and Nicholas."

Kyle stood. "Thanks Huntsgirl. And," he hesitated, "you look pretty in pink."

He then slipped out into the hallway to find Nicholas.

"Pink," Rose muttered to herself, reaching into one of the piles of clothing.

(-.-)

"Anything on the air gem?"

"Nada." Fu stretched as he answered Lao Shi. "We have nothing. Nothing on the Huntsgirl, nothing on the Clan."

"She can't live." Lao Shi dug his fingernails into his palm. The fact that the Huntsgirl was out there, existing, plotting against Jake, threatening his family … he wanted to rip her limb from limb. "We can stop this if she dies before Jake's birthday."

"We need to find her first." Fu growled, as frustrated as Lao Shi.

"But," Lao Shi hesitated. He was the last person who wanted to suggest this, but he felt that it would be, not only in his best interests, but his entire families, if they were to work it out this way, "I'm not sure we should kill her on the spot."

"Why?" Fu sat up abruptly.

"She could give us information on the Clan. And if we take her, if we drug her, and offer her as a sacrificial lamb, simply spill her blood, does that not get rid of the Huntsclan for eternity?"

"But having her live until the date … that would mean the gems would still expect a crystal."

Lao Shi swallowed. He had forgotten that part.

"Still … we may want to consider capturing her for information and then killing her." It was an evil, dirty thing to say, but this was not the time to mince words. Without most of the world, magical or otherwise, realizing it, they were slowly marching to war.

Lao Shi nodded.

(-.-)

The movies were nothing like Jake's daydream. Well, almost nothing like. Rose was more beautiful in reality than his mind could ever create her to be. She showed up almost late, dazzling in a pretty pink sweater. They had swept into the theatre – neither with popcorn, she had skittles though – and taken their seats in time for the show to begin.

There was one other couple in front row, though Jake was sure they were oblivious to his and Rose's presence, sitting in the back as they were. The movie was nearing its end, and Jake still wasn't entirely sure what he was watching. Rose was riveted, gasping and making small comments, but he was more interested in her – the way her voice sounded rugged with a whisper, and the way her hands wrapped around each other when things became tense on the screen.

"Oh!" She swooned as the credits appeared. "What did you think?"

Jake offered her a weak thumbs up.

"That was as wonderful as I thought it would be." Rose slid to her feet, turning for the exit. Instead of seeing Jake's back, heading for the door so they could walk out together, she was faced with his broad chest. She tilted her head up to look into his eyes. "The exit is that way, silly," she teased lightly.

The lightness was gone, however, when Jake touched his palm to her cheek. Her heart hammered from the gentle contact, his eyes closing the moments hers did, as he leaned down and kissed her.

**I don't own anything recognizable. Thanks to my beta: Noble6!**

**~TLL~**


	22. Ceaselessly

Jake stood up, adjusting his jacket on his shoulders. He watched as Rose gathered up her purse, knowing that he should turn for the exit. He just couldn't bring himself to look away from her, to turn away from her. She straightened up and faced him.

A slight grin graced her features. "The exit is that way, silly." Her glossed lips caught the light as she spoke.

Jake didn't take the time to think through what he did next. He didn't spend long minutes thinking about every possible outcome before chickening out. Instead he reached forward, feeling the soft skin of her face under his calloused palms. He leaned down and felt her lips on his. His breath hitched in his throat and he couldn't believe that he was standing here with someone as beautiful as her.

To his immense surprise she started kissing him back. Her lips moved against his and she drew her body near. He could feel the outline of her on his skin and he let his hands fall to her waist, holding her as much as he could. Rose gripped him back as tightly.

She dropped away from him more quickly than he expected, her chest heaving with breath. He watched as her lips curved into a smile. Her head began to tilt up, looking to meet his eyes and …

… he ran away.

Jake had thought he could stand it, the standing there while she reacted to his spontaneous kiss but he couldn't. He jerked away from her, out the doors and into the abandoned hallway. He headed for the lobby, his emotions trembling inside of him. He couldn't believe he had done that – he had not been that reckless, that rash since before the drugs. He could remember a time when once he would have kissed the girl without knowing her and laughed about it when she broke away, her reaction for better or worse. Now, his palms got sweaty and his throat became tight just thinking about what he had done; what if she hadn't liked it? What if her small smile had been a sad smile, a prelude to _'Jake, I like you but I don't like you like that'_? What if she was completely grossed out by him? He didn't want to lose her.

He was in the lobby when someone grabbed his shoulder. Jake knew that he could easily break free from Rose's grasp (for who else would it be) but he allowed her to stop him.

"Geez," she sighed, "you're fast."

He didn't turn around and look at her, not even when her hand slipped from his shoulder, down his arm and came to rest in his palm. He did, however, squeeze her fingers.

"Want to walk?" She asked, already leading him out into the cold night. She drew her coat closer to her as the wind whipped across them. "I'd ask why you ran away, but the answer is pretty obvious. I don't want you to be scared of me, Jake, or of how you feel about me."

He could see the top of her golden hair and his heart was bouncing around, darting throughout his entire body.

Rose felt no reaction from him. He didn't flinch away from her or draw nearer; he didn't offer her a facial expression or a gesture. He was simply still and she couldn't read that. Rose stopped him, jerking him to a halt. A few disgruntled pedestrians growled at the sudden stop but other than that, they were ignored.

"Look at me," she whispered. He didn't move, simply staring down at the ground. "Jake," she pleaded his name. That was what made him look. "I liked it when you kissed me, okay?"

There was a lump in his throat. It was climbing toward his mouth. Jake was locked in her gorgeous blue eyes that were staring back into his. He wished he could read her thoughts, that he could understand who she truly was. She was more than a human; she was a goddess. She was standing beside him, wanting to kiss him, even though she knew that he wasn't right in the head. She could probably sense that there was more wrong with him that even met the eye and yet she was standing in front of him.

This time, deliberately, planned, perfect, he leaned to her lips. She kissed him back, and this time, he held her tight against his body, feeling her silhouette against him. It was there, on a street in New York, holding the most beautiful girl that he had ever seen, that Jake knew: he was not going to die.

(-.-)

"88!"

Kyle froze. Slowly and deliberately, he turned to face the Huntsmaster. "Yes, Master?" he squeaked. The man was terrifying. He could never get over the amount of presence the Huntsmaster had; making him quiver in his boots just by being close to him.

"Where is Huntsgirl?"

"Out, sir." Kyle managed. He wished that 89 were beside him – damn 89 for making a mess out of the lab. It was taking an outrageously long time to clean and Kyle didn't know what to do without 89 by his side.

"Out?" Huntsmaster cocked his head. Where on earth could the girl be? If it was mission related 88 and 89 (or at least whatever one was available) should be with her. If it was school related he should have been notified when she left – he had been all the previous times. While it was true that the Huntsgirl was kept on a very long leash (it was the only efficient way to do things) Huntsmaster didn't like feeling out of the loop. He also didn't like not knowing where she was. If anything were to happen to her before the prophecy came to pass, everything would be ruined. Especially if the Chinese dragon were able to sink his claws into her. "Out where?"

"I have no idea," Kyle lied immediately. While it was his duty to tell the truth to the Huntsmaster, his first loyalty (at least in his mind and heart, Clan wise his loyalty to the Master should come above everything) was to Huntsgirl.

"Are you telling the truth?" Huntsmaster narrowed his eyes at the underdeveloped boy in front of him, a sad example of a Clan member. Huntsmaster made a note to keep an eye on 88 in the years to come: if the boy did not shape up he would not be allowed to breed and welcome the next generation of Clan to the world.

88 shrugged, saving his own hide without sacrificing Huntsgirl's. "I know she left but I don't know where she went."

"Is she on a mission?"

88 shrugged. "She just left."

Huntsmaster hesitated. "Tell her, no matter what time it is, that I want to see her as soon as she returns."

88 offered a bow of respect. "Yes, Master."

As the Huntsmaster headed away from him, 88 leaned against the wall and breathed out a sigh of relief. He couldn't wait until Huntsgirl became Huntsmistress – there was something fundamentally wrong with the Huntsmaster, though 88 couldn't put his finger on it.

(-.-)

When Jake arrived home, Haley was snuggled in his bed, flipping through a book that was much bigger than most of the kids Jake's age read.

"You're late," she accused, putting the book down as he walked in his bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

Jake shrugged. It wasn't as though he had a curfew. Besides, walking around with Rose, even though the night was freezing and he couldn't feel his toes, was perfect. She had rested her head against him, and his arm had been around her waist and he had kissed her twice more before they parted ways. She had squeezed his hand and asked to do it again and he had only been able to nod. He was still awestruck by Rose.

"Sorry." He shrugged off his jacket and flipped his comforter over her face. "Don't look."

"Are you getting naked?" Haley asked, grossed out beneath the blanket.

"Getting ready for bed," Jake grunted in response. His throat hurt from the short conversation with Haley. She hadn't been around much lately and he only spoke for her (although he was really trying with Spud, with mildly successful results).

"Ugh," Haley gagged, going through the motions even though her brother could only hear her. It was a long moment between when he hid her eyes and when she felt him collapse on the bed next to her. She unveiled her eyes, though slowly. "So, where were you?"

"Out."

"That is not an answer." Haley cuddled up next to him. "Were you doing something bad?"

He glared at her, wounded that she would think he would relapse. He had, of course, and he wasn't sure if she knew that, and he didn't want her to. For so long he had been her hero. He had hated Haley for a long time because she had always seemed to be better: she was better with people, she was smarter, she was happier, she had gotten her powers earlier in life, but none of that mattered. When it came down to it, she had always felt as though he were the better one, because he was her older brother, her idol. He still wanted to own up to that image – still wanted to be Haley's hero. He knew that he had shattered that image many months ago, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try. Haley was, after all, the only one he tried for.

"I didn't mean like that!" Haley exclaimed. "I know you're better than that."

He smiled. "What're you doing here?"

"Stuff." She said vaguely. "Stop distracting." She squinted at his face. "Is that lip gloss?"

Jake self-consciously wiped at his lips.

"Oh my god!" Haley screeched. "You were with Rose!"

He felt himself blush.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Haley gushed. "That is so cute. I knew you two would be good together. That's amazing! Do you talk to her?"

Jake shook his head.

"Why not?" Haley swatted at his chest. "If she's your girlfriend than you should."

"I don't know if she's my girlfriend," Jake admitted.

"So _ask_ her," Haley said in a 'duh' tone.

Jake choked out a laugh and quickly tickled her, easily distracting her with laughter.

(-.-)

Rose had just tripped into her room when Kyle's voice sounded. "Huntsmaster wants to see you."

"Why?" She didn't mean to sound whiny, she really didn't. But it was late and she was dancing on cloud nine. The last thing she wanted to do right now was meet with the Huntsmaster.

"No idea. He asked me where you were earlier."

"What did you say?"

"That you went out. That I had no idea where you went."

Rose sighed. "Thanks, Kyle."

"No problem." She watched him slink into his own room before jumping into her Huntsclothes and heading for the Huntsmaster's quarters. She knocked.

"Enter."

"Master." Rose stepped inside the doors and bowed.

"You have not been around much," Master commented as he gestured for her to take a seat.

"No, I'm afraid I haven't." Rose admitted, though nervously. She wasn't sure where this meeting was going. Was Huntsmaster angry with her? Or did he simply want a progress report?

"Can I ask where you are in capturing the dragons? Finding their nest?" Huntsmaster prompted.

"I haven't seen any dragons." Rose said coolly. "I would track them except …" She gestured. He knew to what she was referring.

"Except you do not have the access that you once did." He said this with a snarl.

"I recognize that it is my fault," Rose was quick to own up. "but how long has it been? Can I not get my status back?"

Huntsmaster tented his fingers together, considering. "You are one of the best Clan members I have ever encountered. You are quick, deadly, and intelligent; you are the perfect warrior. I fear, however, in making you into that warrior, somewhere the Clan went wrong."

"Went wrong?" Rose repeated.

"Have you ever felt different from the rest of the Clan?" Huntsmaster asked.

"Well yes, but I always just attributed it to being your successor: I am younger than most members but well above their station." Rose was starting to feel anxious. Was she wrong?

"Huntsgirl, you are different from them because you are a Clan experiment."

Rose swallowed. "What does that mean?"

"It means you will never be like them."

**I don't own anything recognizable. Thanks to my excellent beta: noble6!**

**~TLL~**


	23. Abiding

"M-master?" Rose asked, hating that her voice shook. "What do you mean? How am I an experiment? What did the Clan do?"

"Simmer down," Master spat. He could see it in her eyes, the confusion, the panic, the uncertainty. All weak emotions. He wondered if enrolling her in school had been a bad idea, and then his mind flashed back to the incident that had been mentioned just moments ago. While every member of the Clan had to be strong, and ruthlessness was prized, the Huntsgirl could stand to be more human.

"Then explain." Rose clenched her gloved hands together. She was well aware that the Clan did experiments, using a variety of creatures, magical creatures, and humans as test subjects. She just never thought that they would experiment on one of their own … or that it would be her.

"I will but I can't have you overreacting and storming out before I'm finished." The Huntsmaster caught her eye and pinned her down to her seat with a glare.

Rose sighed heavily. "I'm calm," she said. They both knew she was lying – it could be seen in her rigid jaw and tense muscles – but the Huntsmaster pretended to believe her and began the story.

"Understand this: we did not chemically alter you in any way. We did not do what you are thinking. You were simply raised differently than the other Cadets of your age."

Rose didn't comment. She already knew the bit about being raised differently. She had always been told that it was because she was the Huntsmaster's successor. That was the answer they had fed her and she had lapped it up. Rose became deadly calm on the inside, though there was a canyon of deep disappointment in herself that resided next to her heart. She had been trained to question the motives of everyone, but had not dared to question the Huntsmaster. She knew better now.

"Differently how?" Rose questioned, pushing for details. "What did you to do me?"

"We wanted to raise a child to be the perfect warrior. We wanted someone who was ruthless, calculating, and deadly. We wanted someone who was intelligent above all others; who had the physical and mental means to blend into any environment. We wanted a chameleon, someone for covert ops as well as to rule the Clan."

Rose froze. She had heard these words before – not laid out exactly like this, but she knew all of these characteristics. "You wanted …" she couldn't bring herself to say the words. There was so much history; so much that was left unspoken and undone throughout the years of the Clan that was tied up in what the Master had just described.

"We wanted the Clan Member that Mercer described." Huntsmaster said the words for her.

Rose's eyes widened. Mercer was the founder of the Clan. He had written down the characteristics of the perfect Clan member – that every Clan member who had all of these characteristics would bring the Clan to glory. Mercer had all of these characteristics which is why he based the perfect Clan member off of them. There had never been a member like Mercer again.

"And what do you think?" Rose asked, knowing full well how bitter she sounded. "Did you succeed?"

Huntsmaster hesitated. "Yes and no. You were everything we wanted, Huntsgirl. _Everything_. But you were more too. We had created you too well. One thing Mercer fully acknowledged is that every Clan member must retain full humanity – that is, empathy for those who deserve it, etc. You had none of that. You were concerned about yourself only. You were concerned only with what was good for the Clan. Which is why what happened, happened. And why we could no longer allow you full access to the Clan's weapons and information. It is partly why I brought you to New York instead of leaving you where you were."

"That was not my fault!" Rose exploded.

"See, that right there!" The Huntsmaster pointed at her. "That is where we went wrong. Your only semblance of humanity is your emotions, but you disregard them completely sometimes. How did you manage to kill another Clan member in his sleep? How do you justify betraying the sacred rules of the brotherhood and sisterhood that resides within our numbers?"

Rose tilted her chin up. "He deserved to die."

Huntsmaster shook his head. "You are everything I want in a successor, Huntsgirl, but you must tread carefully."

"Yes Master." She spat.

"You are dismissed." He told her, his voice unusually weary.

"Yes Master," she repeated, but in an entirely different tone. Rose vacated her chair and headed for the door. She had her hand on the knob when the Master spoke again. She didn't even turn around at his words.

"Your access to everything … it will be returned at the beginning of next week."

Rose swallowed hard, concentrating on the wood in front of her. Once her access was returned, she could begin to hunt, truly hunt, again. She would have the dragons in the palm of her hand within the day. She would have all the gems within her grasp easily. With her access back, all of her stress would melt away. She could finally be what she had been trained all her life to be.

Once, she had reflected on her training with joy. She was meant to be this type of person, this warrior of the Clan. She was meant to destroy magical creatures and rule the Clan someday. It was all black and white; she was born for this rule. Now, it weighed heavily on her mind that she had not been born this way. She had been designed to be like this.

"Thank you, Master." She exited into the hallway, heading for her room. She decided, walking woodenly forward, that she, Andrew, 88, and 89 were going to have to have another talk. And this time, they were going to have to seriously look into the way the Clan was being run.

She would obey Master, yes. She would fulfill her mission, yes (if only because the death of the dragons would benefit her as much as the Clan). But she would not blindly trust in the Clan, never again.

(-.-)

"Are you gonna ask her?" Haley asked.

Jake groaned. He had turned out the lights several minutes ago, due to exhaustion and having school in the morning. Haley, however, who was full of energy and who had the day off, was not quite ready to let her big brother have his rest.

"Dunno."

"It'd be cute."

"I don't talk," Jake said.

"You talk to me." Haley reminded him, cuddling deeper under the blankets with him. As the end of November rapidly approached, December quick on its heels, the nights were becoming cold and colder.

"No one else."

"I thought you said you talked to Spud." Haley frowned. She distinctly remembered hearing that detail from Jake at some point.

"Like three words." Jake bit down on his lip. "I'm just not ready."

Haley sighed, relaxing deep into the pillows. She knew that she shouldn't push Jake around; he knew what was best for him. It didn't stop her, however, from wanting to push him around. If he was left to his own devices, Haley didn't know if he would move. With her standing behind him, he might actually get somewhere. She felt bad about it. She didn't want him to reach a breaking point, but she was sensing that. She was sensing annoyance because he was trying to sleep, but no breakage. Not like the night she had turned into a dragon.

"What do you think of your painting?" Haley quickly changed the subject. His dragon life was more of a touchier subject than his human one, but she was getting the feeling that he was tired of discussing his human problems, at least for now. Haley hoped that she had given him something to at least think over.

"Painting?" Jake's voice was muffled from the way he was digging his face into his pillow.

"The one on your wall," Haley prompted, wondering if he had any other paintings that she could, potentially, be referring to.

"Oh." Jake breathed before falling silent again.

"What do you think?" Haley said into the darkness after a long minute of silence.

"Let me sleep Hales." Jake moaned.

"Fine." Haley sighed. "But we're going to talk in the morning."

Jake didn't expect anything less.

(-.-)

The man rose early, like he had every morning for years. When he thought of his life in this sense, he felt a lot older than he actually was. Though he was only fifty-six, he felt as though he were closer to eighty. He attributed this to having the same routine every day, rain or shine, snow or hail. No weather would deter him. In this sense, he was like a postal service worker.

He climbed out of the bed where his wife slept soundly. When they had first married, she had woken when he did. Now, she was no longer a light sleeper and had adjusted to his routine. Sometimes she would surprise him and wake up too, preparing him a homemade breakfast before he had to go out the door. Today, though, she slept, and the man took a minute to admire her sleeping form. Though she looked differently, she was just as beautiful as she had been when he had met her twenty-nine years previous.

He shuffled into the bathroom, scrubbing his face and brushing his teeth. He picked up the clothes that he had laid out for himself the night before. He did up every button slowly and deliberately. It was going to be a cold one out there, and it was only going to get worse as New York weather was wont to do. He ran a hand over the flannel of his long sleeve and decided to pick up a sweater, as well as his coat, before leaving for the morning. His nametag he slipped in his pocket. He would pin that onto his coat later. His jeans were cold on his legs and he shivered.

He padded back into the bedroom, giving his wife a kiss on the cheek. She did not stir. He then made himself a cup of coffee. He put it in his thermos instead of enjoying it with the morning paper because he was running late today. He pulled his coat on, made sure his keys and nametag were in his pocket, and headed out to the truck. He placed the thermos gingerly in the cup holder because the cup holder didn't always like to hold his thermos.

He drove to Earl's. The light in Earl's shop was on and he wondered if Earl ever went to bed. He got out of the truck and knocked twice on the door like he always did. The door creaked open and, when he entered, he only caught a glimpse of Earl's back scurrying away. He waited by the door for Earl to return – in all the years he had known Earl, he had never come past the door.

Earl swiftly returned.

"Here," Earl said. Earl was even older and gruffer than the man imagined himself to be.

"Thank you." He accepted the boxes Earl placed in his hands; boxes full of jewelry that the man sold in his jewelry store in the mall.

"They are priced," Earl warned.

The man nodded. Earl always priced his own creations and the man always trusted these prices. Earl was very fair.

"There is a special one." Earl said after a pause.

The man was instantly curious. Earl had never pointed out a certain piece of jewelry before. The man was always left to uncover things on his own as he set up displays for the store.

"Would you like to see?" Earl asked in his voice that was like gravel.

The man nodded. He wanted to, very much.

Earl opened the top box and pulled out a necklace. The chain was thick, long, and silver but it was not the chain that made the necklace special. It was the rather large pendant on the necklace. Attached to the chain by a claw shaped piece of silver, the light blue stone reflected many different shades of blue and a depth that the man couldn't comprehend. It took the man's breath away. He ran a fingertip along the stone.

"What is it?"

Earl shrugged. "It is beautiful. What more is there?"

The man had to agree. It was beautiful and it would sell quickly. The necklace did not have to be anything more.

**I don't own anything recognizable. Thanks to my glorious beta: Noble6!**

**~TLL~  
**


	24. Ageless

"You going to ask her?"

"You're awake because?"

Jake had just climbed out of bed to get ready for school. Dawn hadn't yet come to New York City. And Haley was bouncing up and down on the bed.

"I've been up since six. I was waiting for your alarm to go off – I didn't want to wake you."

Jake groaned. Even when she didn't have to be awake, Haley was a ball of energy. "We need to talk about your girlfriend problem."

"I have to pee." Jake grunted before moving out into the hallway.

"_Gross_!" Haley squealed. "T.M.I."

Jake hoped that she was passed out, fast asleep, when he returned from the bathroom.

She wasn't, of course, but it had been worth hoping for.

"I picked out your outfit," she announced.

Jake cocked an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"You wanna look good when you ask her to be your girlfriend."

"I'm not going to be talking to her." Jake glanced at the outfit Haley had laid out, and deemed it acceptable. He flicked the blanket over her face like he had last night, and she burrowed under the comforter.

"But why not?" Haley's voice was muffled due to the blanket. "It would be a step in the right direction."

Jake pulled on the jeans and began to fish around the floor for his belt. "Or a step off of a cliff."

"Jake Long!" Haley chastised. "Positive thoughts."

"I talk to you. Positive step."

"You've been talking to me for months now. Time to talk to someone else."

"Spud." Jake responded, feeding his belt through his belt loops and reaching for the t-shirt.

"On a regular basis," Haley amended.

Jake had no reply. He flipped the blanket off of her body. Haley shivered in the sudden cold. "Breakfast." He motioned for her to follow him to the kitchen.

"Are you cooking something?" Haley gasped. "Does Gramps have bacon? Ooh. What about scrambled eggs? With lots and lots of cheese!"

"Toast?" Jake suggested, tossing his usual breakfast into the toaster.

"Could you get any more boring?" Haley groaned.

"_Could you get any more boring?"_ Jake mimicked.

"You are an awful big brother," Haley whined.

Jake rolled his eyes. "Want toast or not?"

"Only," Haley said, "if there's jam."

(-.-)

Rose dragged herself out of bed. She had not slept enough. Immediately after leaving Master last night, she had rounded up 88, 89, and Andrew. They had spent many hours, deep in discussion. Their topics had ranged from how the Clan worked, to the prophecy, and what the Clan had done to her. They were appropriately shocked by it all. By the end of the conversation, they realized that all they could do was remain distrustful (88 and 89 had never been distrustful of the Clan but were now willing to be) and wait. They would wait for the prophecy to pass and for Rose to be instilled as Huntsmistress.

Rose stumbled for the door, emerging onto the city streets. She wasn't looking forward to school, but she was excited about seeing Jake. She didn't know what last night signified – boyfriend and girlfriend? An unexplained moment that might not be revisited? – but she was eager to find out. Besides, seeing his face never failed to cheer her up. The sobering thought that soon, she would never see him again, crossed her mind. She quickly batted it away.

She focused on seeing him.

She was climbing the steps to the school when she was called over by Trixie.

"Rose!" Trixie rasped. "Rose!"

Rose paused. "Hey," she smiled. "What's up?"

"I wanted to ask you something." Trixie awkwardly scratched at her arms. "Uh, Spud and I were gonna go Christmas shopping after school today, and we wondering if you and Jake wanted to come?"

"Christmas shopping?" Rose repeated. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea."

"Awesome." Trixie smiled. "So, do you still like Jake?" She asked.

Rose nodded, feeling a blush come to her cheeks. "Actually, he kissed me last night."

"No!" Trixie gasped. It wasn't that she doubted Jake's interest in Rose, she just couldn't see the new Jake taking that initiative. With a smile, Trixie realized the old Jake may be coming back. Or he may become some other Jake entirely – one that wasn't quite the old Jake, young and reckless, but not the new Jake either, reserved and quiet. Whatever he became, she knew he would be stronger than the drugs. "When?"

"We were at the movies and we were leaving and he just did." Rose couldn't help the dreamy smile that drifted across her face. "It was amazing."

"I bet." Trixie elbowed her in the ribs jokingly as the two girls began to walk inside.

"So how are you and Spud?"

Trixie's jaw dropped. "I don't remember telling you about that." In truth, Trixie and Spud hadn't told much of anyone.

"No one had to tell me, it's obvious."

"Well, things are great with me and Spud." Trixie grinned. Something about hearing how her relationship was 'obvious'.

"Do you _love_ him?" Rose teased.

"I'm in love with him," Trixie revealed in a huff.

"Love?" Rose repeated with a squeak. "Oh my god. Have you told him?"

"No way!" Trixie replied, eyes wide. "I could never tell him first. What if he didn't say it back? What if I was coming on too strong? What if he panics?"

"What if you're overthinking things?"

"What if you're wrong?" Trixie challenged.

"What if you are?" Rose posed the question.

Trixie opened her mouth to reply, but couldn't find one. She was, however, saved by the bell. "Class," she said with an apologetic shrug. "But we'll just all leave together after magical creatures – that's last right?"

"Right." Rose confirmed with a nod.

"Excellent!" Trixie smiled. "See you there."

"See you there." Rose echoed, before turning down the hallway and heading for her own classroom.

(-.-)

"Any ideas on what you're getting people?" Trixie asked as she, Spud, Rose, and Jake piled into Spud's dilapidated van.

Rose shrugged. "I need to buy for my brothers; those are the only ones I'm really worried about."

"The perks of being an only child." Trixie sighed. She grabbed for the van door as Spud squealed to a halt.

"What the hell do these idiots think they're doing? Who gave them their lisence? That is _not_ how you drive a car!"

"Who gave you your license with all that road rage you have going on?" Trixie muttered under her breath.

"Says the one who is too scared to write her beginner's test!" Spud shot back.

"Low blow!" Trixie barked, socking him in the arm.

Once Spud pulled out of the parking lot and was heading smoothly toward the mall (despite the regular New York traffic) he calmed down though.

"Rose," he said, glancing at her in the rearview mirror. He was quick to note Jake's hand in her own, "what are you doing when you get out of high school?"

"I'm thinking of majoring in business," she replied quickly. "I'd like to head a major company someday."

"What kind of business?" Trixie asked, interested. She had never heard someone answer so quickly to what they wanted to do with their lives. She had no idea. Spud had no idea. And Trixie didn't know if Jake was even planning on going to college anymore.

"Something in the private sector; maybe something that has to do with providing services to others."

"Hookers?" Spud replied instantly, pulling into the mall parking lot.

"Not hookers." Rose shook her head with a laugh.

"Well that's disappointing," Spud snorted. "You could've gotten me a deal."

"What?" Trixie gasped, hitting Spud in the arm again.

"Spousal abuse!" Spud crowed, maneuvering the van into a parking spot that seemed much too small for him. "Besides, you know I'll never look at anyone else how I look at you."

Jake didn't quite know how to react to this – he thought it sweet but then again, he was also a little grossed out (like seeing his parents kiss) – so he bailed out of the van. He took a moment to stretch out his limbs. Spud's van was too cramped for someone of Jake's size. The others quickly vacated the vehicle as well and the four of them headed inside to do their shopping.

Jake was nervous. He couldn't remember the last time he had been in such a crowded setting. He didn't know if he could handle the noise so many people were sure to make, let alone someone accidentally brushing against him. Haley touched him. Trixie touched him. Spud touched him. Rose touched him. No one else.

Still, he tried to keep himself focused on the positive. This was a normal teenage thing to do. He was hanging out at the mall with his friends and potential girlfriend. Though the mall made him feel queasy inside, it was a relief to feel normal.

"Did you have anything in mind for Haley?" Rose asked, jerking Jake from his thoughts.

He shook his head. Haley was incredibly easy to shop for – it was Rose that he was lost at. He wanted to get her something as beautiful as she was (though he knew how impossible that was). He was also nervous at the prospect of getting her something. Falling into a relationship with Rose was an entirely new experience to him, and, as he was now, it was a terrifying one. He wondered if normal teenagers found relationships terrifying.

"Does she like jewelry?" Rose questioned, pointing to a tiny shop in the corner of the mall.

Jake shrugged. Did eleven year olds wear jewelry?

"Well, Spud and I are heading upstairs to the Body Shop for my mom." Trixie informed them. "Meet us in the food court in a bit?"

Rose nodded. "Want to check out the shop? It looks so cute and out of the way. I have nothing against these big store chains but there's something special about wandering into a store and knowing that it means something to someone. Like, when you're walking down the street and notice a store and you're not sure that it's been there before and you walk in and it's full of treasures? I find cute little shops are always like that, plus you get something that no one else has."

As she rambled, Rose was tugging him toward the store. Jake didn't mind at all. Somehow, he was thinking of her, wandering a street, perhaps in Europe, picking up little curiosities that she thought were beautiful, before returning home and placing them on an already cluttered shelf. It seemed like a very Rose thing.

"Afternoon kids!" As Jake and Rose entered, the man at the counter greeted them. "Can I help you with anything?"

Rose took a glance around the shop. "Do you own this place?"

The man seemed to swell with pride. "I do. My grandfather started the business when he first immigrated to America – there are four stores in the chain now, my brothers and I each own one. But if I may say," he joked with a wink, "mine is the best."

Rose smiled. "What would you recommend as a gift for his little sister? We want something unique."

The man pondered. "Try Earl's section." He gestured to a small but lavish display on one wall. "He does very good work."

Earl's section. It even sounded perfect.

Before Jake could even process that she had moved, Rose was cooing over the display. "Wow!" She breathed.

Jake could only think that 'wow' was a word used for her.

"Jake!" Rose called over her shoulder. "Come look at how beautiful this one is."

In her hand she held a thin silver chain with a large pendant on it. It was the type of stone that Jake could lose his mind over. It never seemed to end. It seemed thick and ancient and timeless. Looking at the necklace made an indescribable, undefinable, feeling rise within him. It was the same feeling he got whenever he looked at an ancient, timeless artifact in Gramps' shop. It was the timeless legend within him reacting, but Jake was unaware of that.

"I think it would be perfect for Haley!" Rose gushed.

Jake reached out, bringing the pendant into his palm. It was perfect.

**I don't own anything recognizable. Thanks to my beta: Noble6!**

**~TLL~**


	25. Amaranthine

"LEG UP!"

Rose let out a heavy breath, reaching up to wipe her forehead. Sweat was dripping heavily down into her eyes. She felt as though her lungs were about to collapse. Master had _never_ worked her this hard in training before. Though she was in top physical shape, she was not prepared for this.

"I said leg up!"

Rose pushed herself off of the mat she had collapsed onto. Her limbs felt like jello as she hauled herself to her feet. She squared herself to the practice dummy.

"Now, leg up, straight form. Power! _More power_."

Rose barely spared her Master a glance. He was seated comfortably on the balcony. Bitterly she wondered when the last time he fought – or trained – was. Rather than rebel, she took the position expected of her, and delivered a perfect kick to the practice dummy.

Master would never know she was picturing the dummy as him.

(-.-)

Jake wandered down into the shop. Gramps and Fu were not home and he was taking the time to have the shop to himself. He studied each of the ancient objects that adorned the shelves of the back room. He remembered, when he was a very young child, playing with them, not understanding why Gramps became so angry. He also remembered, as a young teenager, attempting to use some of these objects as a personal gain.

Jake shook his head. How childish he had been.

He wished he could be childish again.

The silence in the shop was so complete that Jake nearly jumped out of his skin when the phone rang. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't just let it ring, but he wasn't one for answering the phone. He chewed on his lip for so long that the outdated answer machine finally picked up the call for him.

"Jake … Jake, son, it's your dad."

There was no need for Jonothan to say his name. The moment Jake heard his father's voice – for the first time in months – he broke into a wide smile. He tripped over to the phone, grabbing the receiver in his clumsy palm. He let out a loud breath to let Jonothan know that he was there.

"Jake? Hi. I'm sorry I haven't called but I don't know what to say and I just realized how _wrong_ that was because you are my wonderful son and no matter what kind of times you've been through, I am your dad and I love you and I should have just been able to tell you that."

Jake's smile widened. He and Jonothan had never been as compatible as most fathers and sons are; partly because of the dragon secret, and partly because Jake was like Susan and Haley was like Jonothan.

"And Jake, I want you to come home for Christmas."

Jake held his breath. He hadn't been thinking about Christmas – despite the fact that it was a week away. He knew that his parents, and his sister, would want him there. He hadn't wanted to make that decision. Now, hearing the pleading in his father's voice, Jake knew that he was going to Christmas, if only because he wouldn't be there next year.

"Your mom told me that you and she have this system or something for communicating on the phone and I don't know how she does it, but please, if you're coming home, tap the phone."

Jake lifted his pointer finger immediately, to slam it back down on the phone.

"Thank God. Jake, you don't know how happy you made everyone here. I'll let you go get back to whatever you were doing, but thank you. I love you buddy."

Jake wished he had the strength to say 'I love you' back.

(-.-)

"Veronica, sweetheart, you _know_ everything." Fu pleaded with Veronica, his magical lady friend.

She tapped her spider legs as she pondered, her human face screwing with concentration. "Fu, I don't know what to tell you. The Huntsclan is a large organization, but for something so _huge_ it's so secret."

"Have you heard anything, V?" Fu reached out with his paw, taking her hand in his. "I'm begging you here."

"If it was anyone else," Veronica said softly, looking deep into his eyes, "I wouldn't do this."

Fu felt a sigh of relief coming on. He had come to magic town today to see if he could find a way to help the prophecy, to bring the Huntsgirl to her demise, while still saving Jake. He knew of one thing that could help them in their quest – and it was not the missing gem. It was the original prophecy. It was out in the world somewhere, waiting. Magical items did not simply expire, no matter how old they were.

"Thank you, thank you so much."

"Don't thank me yet," Veronica said with a grim face. "You didn't go into detail about what you were looking for – and I understand that you can't – but I know where to send you."

"Where?" Fu asked as she released his hand.

Veronica skittered behind her kiosk cart that she set up in the magical market place every morning. She opened a drawer carefully, checking around for someone distrust worthy. She closed her hand around the curled piece of paper residing within the drawer.

"This is a map," she explained, voice but a whisper as she placed it in Fu's paw. Fu glanced down at it before hiding it away in his rolls.

"To what?"

"You won't believe it until you actually follow the map and see it."

"Veronica –" Fu said in a darker tone, a warning tone.

"If you follow this map exactly it will lead you to the oracle twins."

(-.-)

Lao Shi hobbled along the New York streets. His aging body protested the long walk and he longed to slip into his dragon form where he felt younger, more, rejuvenated. The more years that passed, the more he began to loathe his human body. Finally, though, he reached his destination. It was a simple house, especially so near the heart of New York. Lao Shi tripped up the gravel walkway and knocked on the door.

"What?" The voice was gruff, the same voice that had mentored Lao Shi through his years as a young dragon.

Some things never changed.

"It is I."

"Lao Shi." The voice came from within again, and there was a shuffling noise as the person inside the home clamored for the door. The front door opened a crack and a single blue eye peeked through to survey him. "It has been a long time."

Lao Shi nodded. "It has."

"You come about the Element Dragons." The man on the other side of the door said.

"I do." Lao Shi had never felt the need to explain himself to his mentor; he just knew.

"You won't get what you seek," the old man warned, "but come in anyway. I know you will not rest until you hear it for yourself."

"What?" Lao Shi said in a more joking tone as he entered the house, "You do not think my temper has mellowed throughout the years?"

"No. I think that you are just as hot tempered now as you were in youth, if not more so. And do not speak of years as though you are old, child. I was already aged several of your lifetimes before you were born."

Lao Shi took a seat on the couch. His mentor took a seat in the armchair across from him.

"It has been a long time, Earl."

(-.-)

Rose stumbled into her room. She clenched her fists weakly together, double checking that all of her fingers were still working. She stripped off her sweaty clothes and took a quick shower. It was tempting to stay in the shower, to settle there and let the hot water cascade over her, but there was no time for that. She got out of the shower as quickly as she got into it, drying her hair and changing into new robes.

"88, 89!" She snapped, securing her mask over her face.

"Huntsgirl!" They replied in unison, the door that connected their rooms slamming open.

"Put on your workout clothes." She ordered. "I have been neglecting your training."

"We've done –"

"Clan training as all the –"

"Cadets must do."

Rose shook her head. "This is not simple cadet training. I am going to be expanding on all of your skills. I will be shaping you into warriors."

"That word scares me," Nicholas stuttered, wide-eyed. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm athletic challenged."

"Amen to that brother!" Kyle crowed.

"Doesn't matter." Rose shook her head. "There is a fight coming – not just the one between the dragon and I that I told you about – but I can _feel_ something deeper happening. Call me crazy, but I do believe there will be a call to arms. I know that you are behind me loyalty wise but I need to know you are physically able."

"This task is beyond us," 88 and 89 protested, but good-naturedly. This is what they had to do. They _were_ behind Huntsgirl, and they would do all they could to make sure she knew that, "but we will fight with you."

Rose bowed her head as a sign of respect. "Thank you."

(-.-)

Jake sat in his room, legs crossed, back to the bed. He was trying to get himself deeply involved in meditation. He was staring at the dragon on his wall. He spread his arms out, trying to remember how it felt to have the wind beneath his wings, to have that rush of excitement as he held himself still and looked down upon the city.

Jake tried to remember what it felt like to have wings at all.

It had been so long since he had felt that part of him, true and unadulterated, that he forgot how it felt. His heart was reaching out to his other side, trying to bring back that connection that was impossible to disconnect. It was hidden, somewhere deep inside the bones and sinews of Jake's human body.

Somewhere inside of his human mouth and his human teeth, there was a dragon's fire, ready for whenever it was called upon again. Somewhere inside of his human hands and his human fingernails, there were a dragon's claws, ready to be unsheathed. Somewhere, inside of his chest, trapped inside his beating human heart, was the heart of the dragon, and no matter what Jake had thought that dragon heart could never be banished from him.

Jake didn't know if he would ever be ready to be the dragon. Jake had never been ready for the dragon – or the responsibilities that came along with being the American Dragon. He had been just thirteen when he had stumbled upon his magical ability to transform. He hadn't had time to have it be a game, to experience the joys of the dragon without the consequences. Jake had always been a protector, fighting for the greater good, keeping those who were innocent safe.

It had been the most honorable of jobs. He had embraced it wholeheartedly because, throughout his childhood, he had wanted to be a hero. And he suddenly was, to many. But he'd lost the ability to be his own hero. He had never had the time to put himself first.

It was then that Jake thought of Rose. She glided into his thoughts, airy and beautiful. He couldn't help but smile, just at the mere thought of her. Rose was, simply, the embodiment of what Jake wanted out of life. She was happy, carefree, and innocent. She was beautiful and open. She loved deeply and laughed without abandon.

He wished that he could hold onto her for an eternity, purely for selfish reasons. Purely because when he was around her, he felt like the hero his childhood self had wanted to be; he felt as though he could love himself and someone else; that he could laugh without abandon and turn away from the horrors he had seen in his short life.

He wanted to be innocent too.

**Thank you to my beta: Noble6. I don't own anything recognizable. Happy holidays!**

**~TLL~**


	26. Unfading

"Earl." Lao Shi's voice was thick. "You know what is at stake here."

"The life of the first American Dragon." Earl said, matter-of-factly. "Your grandson. All dragons are going to die – he's going to be doing something honorable with his life."

"Not all dragons die," Lao Shi said meaningfully. "And he deserves to live."

"And some of us deserve to die."

Lao Shi paused. "What if you took his place?"

Earl looked down at his age-warped fingers, thought of the long gone times he had lived through. "I can't take his place. The prophecy says the newest dragon must fight and that is who he is."

"Fight but not die. Can you not become the crystal?"

Earl shook his head. "You misunderstand who I am, youngling."

"And who are you?" Lao Shi asked, a challenge in his voice.

"I am the last of a breed who is long gone. I can never die, Lao Shi. I can never become a crystal or anything else because I am made of something that will last forever. I will not end. Long after your line has died out, the Huntsclan is forgotten, and the dragons truly are a children's fable, I will still be here."

"Do you know anything at all that could help him?" Lao Shi pressed. "What can I do?"

Earl paused. "I will tell you one thing: do not make him change before he is ready. I cannot explain why. But if you push him, it will end worse than you can imagine."

Lao Shi closed his eyes. "I want him safe," his said, his voice thick. "I thought if anyone knew how to do that, it would be you."

"You don't need me," Earl assured Lao Shi. "The answers are all within you."

"I have no answers. I feel like a floundering child in the middle of the ocean."

"And your Fu Dog will throw you a lifesaver. As we speak, he is on his way to find you more answers."

"What are they?" Lao Shi looked at his mentor, hope blooming full again in his dark eyes.

"You will see," Earl said mysteriously before standing. "I can't help you any more than this."

Lao Shi stood, recognizing the dismissal. "It was nice to see you."

"As it was to see you." Earl walked him to the door and shook his hand before he walked out. Before Lao Shi could go anywhere, though, Earl asked one final question. "Lao Shi, would a rose by any name still smell as sweet?"

Lao Shi turned around but the door was already shut.

(-.-)

Fu double checked the map in his paw. This was the place. This was the hidden home of the Oracle Twins. Except there was nothing here. He was in the middle of a forest, standing right where the X on the map would theoretically be, and there was nothing. He felt like slamming the map down in frustration. He had spent hours to get here – hours that involved blood, sweat and way too many mosquitoes for his taste.

"Where are you?" He grumbled. He could feel magic in this place. There was something here, but where? He unraveled the map again, studying the lines. There was something off about the map and the place he was standing. There was a large boulder that should have been directly to his left but there was no boulder.

Had he gone wrong somewhere?

Fu cross-stepped to the left, now standing in the area the boulder would be located. It was the correct place to be standing. The ground quivered, and Fu felt himself being drawn downwards. When he regained the ability to open his eyes, he was in a very different space.

The walls were rock, the ceiling was rock, and the floor was rock. There were rows upon rows of candles lined against the walls. There were no splashes of colour. The few objects he could make out in the dim light were black. The only thing that stood out were the two figures, dressed entirely in white robes, with hoods covering their heads, only their faces visible.

"Hello," he breathed.

"Fu," they said together, their voices sounding like a song.

"Are you the Oracle Twins?" he asked, but it was a stupid question. There was no one else they could be.

"We are. We are Kara and Sara – though it has been many moons since we have gone by our mortal names."

"I remember you," he said. He remembered when they had been young and breezing through the shop with Jake – the exact details of why they were there escaped him. "Why did you change?" He could not tell which one was which. They looked exactly the same.

"The Huntsclan was going to use us. We saw it. We were going to be captured. We would be the reason the Huntsclan won."

"So we decided to seclude ourselves away. We knew that if we left our location with Veronica, you would find us. We would be able to help the good side. This was what we wanted."

"So where do we go from here?" Fu asked.

"You take us back to your shop. We help you in any way we can."

"Have you had a vision?" Fu demanded, giddy. How could they lose now, with the Oracle Twins on their side? They would be able to predict the moves of the Huntsclan, maybe find the Huntsquarters. Perhaps they would even be able to find out the true identity of the Huntsgirl.

"It doesn't work like that. Don't get swept up in fantasies of this becoming easy simply because you have us on your side."

"Of course we will do all we can to help you, but you know how our powers work. We cannot simply will a vision to come to us –"

"Though we are figuring out how to do that."

Fu took a deep breath. "Whatever you ladies can bring to the table is greatly appreciated. Beyond appreciated. But I sought you out for another reason."

One of the twins approached him, her sister staying routed to the spot. "The original prophecy." She said. "We know it. But we will only reveal it to you once we are also in the presence of Lao Shi."

Fu nodded. "We will leave here at once."

(-.-)

"Are you or are you not one of us?"

Andrew crossed his arms, staring at the trio in front of him. "Define us."

Rose couldn't and he knew that. "You know what I mean. Are you going to go running to the Hunstmaster if I say something against him?"

"I thought that was your job. Aren't you his pet?"

"It isn't wise to bite the hand that feeds you," she snapped. "You plot behind its back."

"Witty." Andrew surveyed the training area, a place he had not step foot in for many years. He had long since graduated from cadet training and because he was on assignment he did not have to pass the annual physical. "I will train with you. I will fight with you."

"Join us tomorrow?" Huntsgirl asked. "We will begin at five in the morning."

"Harsh hours." Andrew scoffed. "I'll be here."

Rose dismissed 88 and 89. "I wish to speak with you privately." She said to Andrew as the duo dragged their tired bodies from the training area.

"About?"

"It has to do with the prophecy and the fight that will occur when it comes to pass."

"Are you worried about winning? Because I wouldn't doubt your skills. You are a vicious warrior; you are what you were designed to be."

"It's about the fight that I feel will ensue during or before the solitary fight between the American Dragon and I."

"What fight would that be?" Andrew asked.

"I feel as though the Huntsclan and the magical world are headed for war. What will we do if the dragons attack before the date? What will happen if there is a battle and something happens to me?" Rose met his eyes. "No matter how I feel about the Master it does not change my views about the Clan. Clan members are human beings and they don't deserve to die because I made a stupid mistake or because dragons are brutal beasts."

Andrew met her eyes. "Do not worry about the dragons attacking. I have a feeling the prophecy is being kept just as silent in their world as in our world – if dragons have any sort of intelligence, which we both know they do, the American Dragon and the Chinese Dragon would stay silent on the matter to avoid dragons from lashing out. Can you imagine the chaos within the Clan if all the members discovered that we may die in a few months?"

"_I feel it,_" Rose said urgently. "I have never doubted my instincts, my feelings before. If a fight comes before _the_ fight I will go – it is my duty to my brothers and sisters. I could not just stand on the sidelines but it might put the Clan in jeopardy for the real day I must fight."

"Don't worry about a fight that may or may not happen," Andrew advised. "But if it does come around, I will fight with you and, if it comes down to it, I will die for you."

(-.-)

Jake was on the phone.

To be more specific, Jake was actually having a conversation with Haley on the phone. He was not used to talking into the plastic device and he remembered why he hated the telephone so much, even when he spoke.

"Dad said you're coming home for Christmas. Is it true?"

He smiled at the excitement in her voice. "Yes."

"Did you get me a present?"

Jake thought of the beautiful blue necklace that he had bought for her. "Yes."

"Oooh. I'm so excited!" Haley paused. "Did you ask her?"

"I don't talk to her."

"You could."

"Haley."

"Don't Haley me." Haley lectured. "You talk to me fine. Now, work on talking to Spud or Trixie. Honestly, I'm pretty sure you've said more to them in your lifetime than you have me. They are your best friends and they'll be thrilled."

"I don't feel ready."

"I'll accept that as my Christmas present," Haley bribed.

"I'll try," Jake promised.

"_Really_ try?"

"Really try." Jake repeated, sincerely. He liked how Haley would give him a little push. She always seemed to know exactly what he needed.

"And then you'll ask Rose to be your girlfriend."

Jake sighed. There really was no other reaction that he could give.

"Jake?" Haley asked seriously. "Do you think you two will get married?"

Jake couldn't help but laugh.

(-.-)

Jake didn't feel like going to school today. It was the last day before break and nothing was really going on. He ran into Rose just as he was about to turn down the pathway to the front doors.

"Hey stranger," Rose greeted him, adjusting her bag. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."

Jake felt the same way.

"Are we heading in?" Rose motioned to the school as they were just standing on the sidewalk.

Jake bit his lip, wondering if she would go for his idea. He shook his head, taking her hand, tugging her away from the brick building.

"You wanna skip?" Rose asked him.

Jake nodded, wondering if she would go for it. Skipping class was a regular occurrence for him but she was a good student. Most of the good students he knew would rather walk over hot coals than miss class, even if nothing was going on that day.

"That sounds perfect." Rose grinned. "Can we stop and get a coffee somewhere?" She asked, walking with him.

Jake didn't care where she wanted to go.

"Oh! And a cinnamon bun. Those make the best breakfasts, don't you think? Especially the ones with icing on them."

Jake pulled her into a side alley.

"What are you doing?"

He brought her close to him, kissing her deeply. He had been watching her lips the entire time that she had been talking and he couldn't take just seeing her lips anymore. He felt her smile into their kiss.

"I was waiting for you to do that."

**Sorry for the delay! Thanks to my beta: noble6. I don't own anything recognizable.**

**~TLL~**


	27. Traditional

Rose swept into her bedroom smiling. She had spent a day with Jake, in which they darted about the city, doing absolutely nothing. It had been one of the best days she'd had in a long time. They had found a retro diner tucked away on one of the side streets and had eaten giant burgers while doing the old fashioned thing and sharing a shake. She had never imagined that she would feel this way about anyone. She had always expected to live out her duty to the Clan, leaving behind an heir with an intelligent, strong, male Clan member. Now, Rose was on cloud 9. She felt like singing for no reason and her heart danced when she thought of him.

Taking a deep breath, and attempting to wipe off the ridiculous grin on her face, she changed into her formal robes. Tonight was the Huntsclan Christmas banquet. She had to look nice. She swept a slight bit of make-up onto her revealed eyelids and glossed her lips – bare for eating. She knocked on 88 and 89's door.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

"Yes." They opened the door that separated their rooms, dressed to the nines in their own formal robes.

"Will we be escorting you?" Nicholas asked.

"No." Rose shook her head. "I will be escorted to the Huntsmaster. Did either of you ask one of the female members? I'm sure one of them would be delighted."

"We did," Kyle said nervously. "We just wanted to make sure that you weren't expecting us to take you."

Rose smiled. They were adorable, Kyle and Nicholas. She was coming to view them as true brothers; she had become incredibly close to them. It was due to them that she was so prepared to fight – they didn't deserve to die because of how misguided the Huntsmaster may be on a few details. When she became head of the Clan, she was going to make a few changes.

"Remember," she advised, brushing lint off of Kyle's shoulders, "do not speak to Andrew at the banquet unless he speaks to you first. This is a very formal event and you are expected to act within your place in the hierarchy. I know that you have been very lax with that since coming to work with me, but you are still underlings to many people, though being my right hands has elevated your status somewhat."

"We will act appropriately," they assured her.

"Go," Rose gestured with her head. "Collect your dates. And if you would like to stay late at the party afterward, feel free. There is no training tomorrow."

Their eyes widened.

"I love you." Nicholas breathed.

"I love you more," Kyle sighed.

With one of the happiest expressions, Rose watched them dart out the door. She settled herself on the edge of her armchair and waited for Huntsmaster to collect her.

(-.-)

Jake had been sitting on his front steps for half an hour now. He had his bag packed and sitting at his side. The cold from the stone steps had long since settled into his bones. He ran his hand along the edge of the step and wondered why it hadn't snowed yet. Surely there should be a white Christmas?

He looked at the door to his house. His family didn't know that he was here yet. He was trying to convince himself that it was okay to go inside. They were just his family. And if it were just his family, he might not be so scared. Yet, it wasn't just his family. It was the bedroom upstairs, just before Haley's, that reflected a Jake of earlier times. There was the memory of the day he had gone to the hospital – the day Haley had seen her big brother break. There was the memory of how he had drugged himself at the kitchen table before heading out to a fight at three in the morning. There was the memory of his childhood, of an oblivious Jake who thought dragons belonged to fairytales and believed that the good guys always won.

It wasn't his family that was keeping him outside.

It was himself.

Jake stood up, feeling his legs creak. He had promised Haley he would be there; had promised his mother and father. He couldn't let them down. He was also trying to move on and become a better person. He was going to have to face, fully face, who he had been before he was able to do that. Swallowing, Jake placed his hand on the cold knob of the door. He was quivering on the inside. What if it all went wrong? What if he failed? What if he found himself running away again?

Jake steeled his resolve. He wasn't becoming that person again. He was someone else now. He was stronger now.

He opened the door and the scent of home flooded over him. It was just like every Christmas – the smell of a ham cooking, the sound of Haley singing Christmas carols (usually being off tune on purpose because she knew how much it annoyed him) and his father singing in sync with Haley. Jake stumbled in the front door, slamming it shut behind him. He didn't know that something as simple as seeing the entryway could possibly make him so happy.

Perhaps he had been wrong to stay away.

"Jake!" Haley came rushing out of the kitchen, tripping on her own two feet. There was chocolate smeared on one side of her cheek. "I thought you were never going to get here!"

He smiled and nearly opened his mouth to say something. He saw his mother appear in the doorway to the kitchen and quickly snapped his jaw shut. Haley, luckily, didn't seem to notice.

"I've been baking all day and I made a cake and chocolate sauce to put on it and it's gonna be so good and … Say hi to Mom!"

Jake met his mother's eyes, noting the surprise in them when he initiated the hug.

"I've missed you so much," she whispered as she held him close, closing her eyes against the feel of a body that was so much different than the baby's she remembered. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you."

Jake pulled back from his mother slightly, looking down at her. He kissed her on her forehead, trying to show that she didn't need to apologize. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to be his parent during the past few months – didn't want to imagine it. If anything, he should be the one apologizing to her. In no way did he want Susan to think that she was the one to blame for his actions; that all rested on his own shoulders.

"Daddy!" Haley shouted up the stairs. "Jake's home."

Jake froze, hearing the groan of the second stair, one he'd often had to jump over to avoid being caught when he was sneaking out. Jonothan's legs appeared at an agonizing pace and Jake swallowed hard. He didn't want to admit that he was nervous about seeing his own father again, but he was. The last time he had seen Jonothan's face Jake had been in the hospital and so out of it that he couldn't even remember Jonothan being there.

Jonothan reached the bottom step and the first thing he did was wrap his arms around Jake, wondering when his son had gotten so much taller than he. "Hey bud," Jonothan put on a wide grin. "Ready to eat?"

Jake nodded, feeling more relaxed on the inside than he had for a very long time.

(-.-)

Jake crept out of Haley's room. It was nearing midnight and his parents had gone to bed hours ago. He had just finished reading her a bed time story – she was becoming obsessed with Harry Potter, believing that it was real. He knew better. If there was that kind of magic in Europe, they would know about it.

He padded down the hall to his own room, his bag from Gramps' slung over his shoulder. He hesitated at the bedroom door, before throwing it open. He reached for the light switch and watched as the four walls he used to see every day flooded with light. He stepped inside, closing the door securely behind him.

The room had an air of abandonment. No one had stepped inside since Jake had been taken to the hospital. It was obvious from the small bit of dust that had accumulated on everything. Jake dropped his bag, biting down on his lip as he surveyed the objects he could not have lived without, once.

His favourite red jacket was still draped over the back of his desk chair. Jake reached out, running his hand across the worn fabric. He pulled off the sweater he had on, pulling on the red garment of his childhood. It still fit across his body, and he pulled the zipper up to his throat.

He then moved to the skateboard that was leaning against the footboard of his bed. The wheels were slightly worn out – he had been meaning to replace them – and the bottom of it was scratched from tricks. Jake laid it flat on the ground and stepped up onto it. He was slightly ashamed to find that he didn't quite know how to position his feet across the board anymore. He stepped off of it, running his hand across the black, bristled top. He wondered if Spud and Trixie would be going to the indoor skate park any time soon. There was a feeling inside of him that could only be described as longing when he thought of the long days spent skateboarding with his friends. He wanted to recapture it.

Jake then looked at the binder sitting on his desk. There was a page full of scratchy writing – the remnants of a history assignment he didn't even remember starting. Surrounding him was remnants of a life that he barely remembered as his – yet, here was all the evidence. He had been this person once upon a time and it was becoming easier and easier to accept as he became more comfortable with the person he was now.

Jake dressed for bed, feeling proud of himself. There had been no relapses tonight, no thoughts of relapsing. It was as he was slipping into his childhood bed, though, that he felt it. It was a different texture than the rest of his carpeted floor, harsh against his big toe. He leaned down, picking up the dragon scale and rolling it between his fingers.

(-.-)

_Four dragons of legends untold,_

_ Spoke of human's tarnished gold._

_ A world so broken beyond repair, _

_ Needs help of earth, fire, wind and air._

_ Wielded by dragon youngest of all,_

_ The gems will heed to the hero's call. _

_ Yielded by mistress of the hunt,_

_ The dragons end will be blunt._

_ At the eve of the dragon's first rise,_

_ Both will be pulled for the other's demise._

_ Fight they will, strong and swift,_

_ One will be victorious, none knows which._

_ That which possesses the gem,_

_ All but ensures their enemies end,_

_ Once the blood of the foe has spilled,_

_ All that shares in the side will be killed._

_ Once the battle has been fought,_

_ Another gift will be sought._

_ Upon a dragon, sacrifice will be taken,_

_ To assure the human's that have forsaken,_

_ The order that used to be,_

_ Will rise and once again be free._

(-.-)

Despite the late hour, the Christmas party was still stretching into the night. Rose bowed away from her dance with Andrew, glad that she had shed her shoes hours ago. She was headed to get some punch when she was swept up against Master's broad chest.

"How have you found the party?" She asked out of politeness.

"Tedious, as they all are," he replied honestly. "Your access to the labs have been restored completely, though they will not be running completely for another few days – you know how the Clan uses the Christmas holiday as an excuse to drink."

"Not I," Rose assured him. She had never touched a drop of alcohol in her life, nor did she ever intend to.

"I am proud of you for that. You certainly are in a class of your own, Huntsgirl."

From the way he said it, Rose wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

**Thanks to my beta Noble6! I don't own anything recognizable.**

**~TLL~  
**


	28. Perennial

Jake picked up the dragon scale, rubbing it between his fingers. The colour had faded from a bright red to a dull pinkish colour. It was still hard, the edges jagged and sharp. He flipped the scale so it fell into the middle of his palm and stared. He had never physically held one of his scales before. It had just been a piece of skin before, a piece of who he was. It hadn't been any more interesting than his hair, his fingernails. Now, he rubbed the tip of his finger across the scale.

The colour of it was wildly different from that of his skin – even that of his usual dragon coat. It felt like running your hand across a diamond. He took his thumb, pressing the scale into his flesh. It was so wildly different from the skin he lived in, but it was also the skin he had once lived in. The scale did not look to be a part of him but it was. Jake pressed the scale into his hand so hard that it drew blood, cascading over the scale, turning it to its original colour.

(-.-)

Jake felt as though he had just gone to sleep when Haley came bouncing into his room, jumping onto his bed. She landed on his stomach, effectively startling him to consciousness. She was leaning into his face, smiling wildly.

"It's Christmas!" She exclaimed loudly, making him flinch from her volume.

"I know," he grumbled. Jake didn't make any motion to move her, just blinked up at his enthused little sister.

"I _love_ Christmas," Haley giggled, sliding off of Jake to sit next to him. "Don't you?"

"I love sleep."

"Scrooge." Haley accused, shaking her index finger at him. "Be happy."

Jake rolled over, burying his face in his pillow. He didn't even think the sun had come up yet. "Five more minutes," he grumbled. An odd feeling grew in the pit of his stomach with his words. He was instantly taken back to three years ago, to Susan rushing into his room, trying to shake him awake, he forever attempting to placate her with a _'five more minutes, promise_'.

"No!" Haley protested, shaking him. "It's Christmas! We have to go open presents! Dad's already making breakfast!"

Jake popped one eye open, looking at her bright face. He reached out one arm, wrapped it around her waist, holding her down next to him.

"Jake!" Haley screeched, weak against her older brother's iron hold. She pushed against his arm, but his muscle was barely working to hold her in place. She kicked at him, but he didn't even flinch, let alone open his eyes. "I'll lick you." She threatened.

"I've gotten over being grossed out by that." He responded, opening his mouth as little as possible.

"I'll _bite_ you," Haley tried again. It wasn't a full threat though. She was too grossed out by the look of Jake's arm to consider biting it. Also, it would make her feel like a cannibal. One did not want to feel like a cannibal on Christmas morning.

"Five more minutes," Jake insisted, drawing his squirmy sibling further into his hug.

"I believe you're down to three." Haley insisted, giving into the bed and snuggling into the second pillow on Jake's bed.

"Shh," Jake murmured, trying to be soothing. "Five more minutes."

(-.-)

Susan began climbing the stairs to the second floor to her house. Jonathan was in the kitchen whipping up their traditional Christmas morning breakfast, singing loudly to the carols coming through their stereo. She had been singing with him until she realized that Haley and Jake had not come downstairs yet. She suspected that Jake, like always, was reluctant to leave bed. She approached her son's bedroom door (her heart swelling because, for the first time in so long, her son was in his bedroom, safe and sound) hearing Haley's voice.

"I'll bite you," Haley was threatening.

Susan was torn between gasping at her daughter's aggressiveness (which had been coming and goings in waves ever since Haley was a baby) or smiling at the sisterly tone in which it was said. She chose to smile, reveling in the fact that her family was under one roof again. She could easily walk into Jake's room and hold both of her babies in her arms.

And Susan was preparing to do just that when something happened that made her heart stop: she heard Jake's voice.

"Five more minutes," came a low, sleepy whisper.

Susan leaned against the wall for support, her hand going to her chest. She couldn't remember the last time he had spoken. She remembered all the painful, silent phone calls; the tears she had cried into Jon's shoulder when Jake wouldn't even tell her he loved her. Though she wanted to, Susan didn't walk into Jake's room. Instead, she pushed herself away from the wall, walking back downstairs.

Jon looked up from his frying pan. "Hey sweetie. Where's the kiddos?"

"Upstairs." Susan moved to his side, tucking herself under his arm. Jon pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Are they coming down? Breakfast is almost ready!" Jon let out a whistle before belting out "_HAVE A HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS!"_

Susan giggled, squeezing her husband's side. "I'm so glad I fell in love with you."

Jon turned away from the oven to pull her tight against him. "I'm so honored to have fallen in love with you."

Smiling like she had on their first date, on their wedding day, Susan looked up to meet his eyes. "We did good right? With the kids, with our lives, with everything?"

"You betcha." Jon winked. "And we've still got a lot of right left to do with our lives. I'm not leaving you for a very long time."

"I like the sound of that."

_"THE MISTLETOE HUNG WHERE YOU CAN SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"_

(-.-)

Rose found herself in the training ring again. Master was once again seated on his pedestal high above her, watching her every move.

"When was the last time you fought a Dragon?" Master asked, "Before encountering the Chinese Dragon in New York."

"Four months before arriving in New York," Rose answered with confidence. "The day before my status was revoked and I could not safely or effectively hunt."

"So you are rusty."

"Never rusty," Rose swore.

"Hmm." Master mused. "We shall see about that."

"Master?" Rose questioned. His voice had changed, and within her, something immediately recognized that this was not going to be a typical training session with the Master, though no training session with him could ever be classified as 'typical'.

"I put in a request to other Clan headquarters around the globe," Huntsmaster announced. "I needed to be sure you had practice with fighting a dragon again with nothing but your skills. In the past few years I fear we have become too reliant on technology and weapons to fight our battles for us."

Rose's eyes widened. The Huntsclan had smuggled a dragon into the country! Specifically for her to kill!

The Huntsmaster descended from the balcony, coming onto the training floor. "First, I have a gift for you."

"A gift?" Rose repeated, touched. For all the Master's faults he was still her father figure – the person she had looked up to her entire life. He had taught her all that she knew and had been the biggest impact on her life. She would be nothing without her Master.

"It is Christmas after all."

Rose couldn't be sure but she thought he might be smiling underneath the mask.

"Yes it is," Rose agreed.

Master reached into the pocket of his robes. "It is something that Clan members have been using for centuries that I have put into a form more suitable for you." Master explained, reaching for her arm.

Rose allowed the Master to manipulate her hand, turning her palm so that it was facing the ceiling. She watched as a gold chain pooled into her palm, the golden rose pendent thumping against her fingers.

"It's beautiful," she breathed, taking a moment to admire the fine craftsmanship. It looked to be a real flower; it was that fine. "Thank you Master."

"That's not just gold though," the Master warned, circling back to his previous explanation. "The entire necklace is infused with sphinx hair."

"Clever," Rose remarked, clasping the necklace around her throat. "Thank you for your generous gift."

"Nothing but the best for my girl," the Huntsmaster clapped his hand meaningfully to her shoulder for a long minute. Finally, he dropped his hand, turning to sweep up to the balcony. "Now!" He boomed, "Bring in the Australian Dragon!"

(-.-)

Breakfast dishes pushed to the side, stockings torn apart, the Long family was getting to the guts of their gifts. Susan, liking Christmas mornings to be orderly, was individually handing gifts to her family members. Haley ripped through the wrapping paper, Jake picked away at it, and Jon had to shake and feel every aspect of the parcel, making three guesses, before he would finally open the gift. Susan tended to be on Haley's side of the spectrum. She needed to know what was in her gift right away.

"This one is for Jake from Mom and Dad." Susan was nervous about this gift as she handed it to Jake. She and Jonathan had gotten him the new skateboard he had been drooling over – but both purchasing and drooling had been done before he had ended up in the hospital and gone to treatment. Susan wasn't even sure if he skateboarded anymore.

Jake knew what the present was the moment it was in his hands. It was the high end skateboard he had been drooling over earlier in the year. He quickly tore the paper off of it. The wheels gleamed bright; the intricate designs on the bottom of the board seemed to move of their own accord. It was everything he had envisioned it to be. It also strengthened his resolve to get back on the skateboard, to start living again, before it was all too late.

He reached out, hugging his mother and then his father.

"We're so glad you like it, sweetheart." Susan smiled. "We know how much you wanted it."

Jake smiled, nodding at her. Susan turned and lifted a small box out of the tree. "To Haley. Love Jake." She read off of the tag.

She placed the box in Haley's hand, who inspected it. "I have no idea what this is," she announced.

Jake thought it was pretty obvious that it was a jewelry box, even though it was wrapped (not well, mind you, but wrapped). He simply shrugged at Haley and gestured for her to open it.

Haley tore through the wrapping paper, tiny scraps going everywhere. Susan gave a slight cringe, thinking of her once neat living room. Haley got the green velvet box, weighing it in her palm for a moment, before popping the top open.

"Wow!" She gasped, her eyes going wide. "Where do you even find something this beautiful?"

"Let's see!" Jonathan urged, making sure he positioned the video camera to catch Haley. She was sitting on the floor while he, Susan and Jake had placed themselves on the couch and the armchair.

Haley spun the box around, showing off the pendent that seemed to have no end; it just kept reflecting itself into itself, over and over.

"Oh wow," Susan exclaimed. "That's a beautiful gift, Jake."

Haley pulled the necklace out of the box, squirming backwards until she hit Jake's legs. "Put it on?" She asked, transferring the necklace to his large hands.

Jake waited until she had swept her hair out of the way before resting the chain around her pale throat. His big fingers fumbled with the clasp for a minute before it finally latched for him. Haley let go of her hair, jumping to her feet and onto Jake's lap.

"I love it big brother!" She threw her hands around his neck, kissing him on the cheek.

(-.-)

"Master, the Australian Dragon is dead."

**Thank you to my beta Noble6 who can work on amazing deadlines. I own nothing recognizable.**

**~TLL~**


	29. Lifelong

Rose stumbled into her bedroom where 88 and 89 were waiting for her. They were sitting on her bed with a pack of playing cards, arguing over the rules of blackjack. The moment her door opened and they took in her appearance, their jaws dropped.

"What happened?" They yelled together.

"Shh," Rose urged, motioning with her hand. Her head was pounding. She fell into her armchair, curling up like a feline. Her body was aching. After she had defeated the Australian Dragon, Master had released wave after wave of magical creatures claiming that she 'needed to be ready for any challenge that came her way'.

Rose would like to tell him where he could put said challenge.

"What happened?" Kyle whispered, making sure to keep his voice down. The Huntsgirl looked as though she had just fought an entire war all by herself. There were bloody smudges on her face; her robes were ripped apart in places, her own blood still oozing from those wounds.

"Should you go to the Health Room?" Nicholas pressed. She looked as though she were going to throw up … or die.

"No. Fine." Rose insisted. She wouldn't dare go to the Health Room. They asked a lot of questions in that room; questions about everything. Just because she was the Huntsgirl wouldn't stop them from questioning her. She didn't like the feeling of being questioned.

"You don't look fine," Kyle snapped.

Rose lifted her head long enough to give him a glare before her neck gave out and she collapsed back into her chair.

"With all due respect," Kyle added quickly.

"Just looking out for your best interests," Nicholas jumped to his friend's defense, trying to explain Kyle's words.

"My best interests are a bathtub." Rose murmured. "With boiling hot water."

"I'll run the water," Nicholas offered, bouncing off of the bed, running for the adjoining bathroom door.

"Such a lovely boy," Rose managed, a small grin slipping onto her face. "You both are," she told Kyle, becoming more honest as her fatigue took over.

"Thank you Huntsgirl." Kyle replied. "Can I help you with something? Can I do anything else for you?"

"Andrew." Huntsgirl spoke his name with finality. "Find him for me, will you? I need to speak to him in an hour, after my bath."

"I'll find him, right away," Kyle promised her, rushing from the room.

Rose repositioned her aching body in the chair just as Nicholas reentered the room. "Your bath is ready."

(-.-)

Jake felt his mother's kiss on his forehead; his father's hug; Haley's small hand in his own. He had just left his family's Christmas celebrations, choosing to skateboard back to his grandfather's. His legs were shaky as he tried to remember where to place his feet on the board, how to move his arms and body to keep himself balanced and sure.

After two blocks of practicing with his new board, Jake's body remembered what to do. It was so easy to slip back into how he was; skateboarding around the streets of New York, always looking to meet up with Spud and Trixie. He doubted they would be out (it was cold and it was Christmas) but it still felt so much like old times that he expected it to happen.

It didn't and he was back at Gramps' home much too soon, it seemed. He was happy to be back, however. He was opening the door and he felt lighter to be home. He stepped inside and halted. The air was different. There was _something_ in his house that hadn't been there when he left. It wasn't human but it wasn't any sort of magical creature he was familiar with either. Jake crept forward with caution, prepared to run if danger was lurking.

He found himself in the back of the shop. Fu was perched on the couch, next to Lao Shi. In front of them – standing – were the two oddest figures Jake had ever seen in his entire life. They were definitely not human, but, being this close, he could tell that they once were human. They were pale, not just their skin colour, but their hair, their eyes, their clothes, were all pale. The two figures were completely void of colour.

"Jacob Long," they said as one, turning their heads in sync.

Jake dropped his backpack onto the floor, his mouth dropping open. They were seeing into his soul; deep into the person he was. He met their colourless, seemingly glowing eyes, and instantly knew who they were.

_Jacob Long_.

The sound repeated but it was not out loud. It was from somewhere deep within his mind. They had reached inside of him, transporting their thoughts into his.

_Not thoughts. We are communicating with you as best as we can. We know you will not speak aloud to us._

Jake blocked his thoughts so that he would not reply to the two of them. He didn't need to hear what the Oracle Twins had to say or why they were standing in the back room of the shop. It had to do with the prophecy. They were here on Gramps or Fu's urging – here in order to ensure that Jake won his fight.

"Jake, do you remember the Oracle Twins?" Gramps asked Jake, trying to get his grandson to come into the room, sit down, and have a serious conversation about the prophecy which was must closer than either party would like to admit.

Jake jerked his head in a nod, seemingly transfixed by the otherworldly creatures that had taken up residence in his home.

"We are only here to help," the Oracle Twins promised Jake.

Jake wasn't going to be convinced by the two of them but he went further into the room, accepting that, for better or worse, the Oracle Twins were now a permanent part of his life.

(-.-)

Rose clawed her way out of the bathtub, feeling as though she had not been soaking for long enough in the boiling water. She felt mildly better. Her limbs were not quite so sore and there was no blood (or other bodily fluids) clinging to her skin. She took a long few minutes to run a brush through her golden hair, tying it back tightly into the braid she wore as Huntsgirl. She slipped into fresh robes – her old ones having been sacrificed to the garbage can, beyond repair.

She stepped out into her bedroom. Kyle and Nicholas were sitting on the floor in front of the armchair where Andrew was perched, teaching them the exact nuances of blackjack.

"Heard you went through some kind of hell today," Andrew commented wryly, not looking up from his hand.

"She was covered in blood and _ick_," Nicholas added helpfully.

"She was too exhausted to move," Kyle slammed his fist down on the two cards in front of him. "Blackjack!"

Andrew double checked Kyle's cards. "You've only got twenty – that's not blackjack."

Kyle looked crestfallen. "So close," he muttered.

"So wanna tell me what happened?" Andrew asked Rose as she built herself a small nest out of the blankets on her bed.

"Master has started putting me through the paces. I am preparing for my fight." Rose revealed. "I must visit the labs as soon as possible, make sure they whip up – or have – exactly what I need for my hunt. I need to locate the last gems and continue to train."

"Should we go to the labs now?" Nicholas asked, checking and rechecking his cards. "Blackjack?"

Andrew took a look at the cards. "Blackjack," he confirmed.

"I give up," Kyle announced, kicking at the deck in Andrew's hand. Andrew retaliated by snatching Kyle's foot in his hand and twisting it up behind the younger man's head.

"Never kick at me again," Andrew warned.

"Okay, okay!" Kyle gasped, pulling his leg away from Andrew.

"Should we go to the labs now?" Nicholas repeated his question over Kyle and Andrew's quick altercation.

"No, they're closed today. We'll go tomorrow, at first light. I expect it will take them a week to properly prepare what I want, and I need to get special permission from Master in order to carry out this product."

"What is it?" Kyle asked, perking up to look at her. "Is it high-tech and confidential?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "It's only confidential from the rest of the Clan. 88 and 89 are officially part of my team and Andrew isn't officially a part of anything, as far as I'm aware."

"Nope," Andrew chimed in. "I have my assignment. I don't do much either way."

"What do you do on a regular basis?" Nicholas inquired of Andrew.

"Classified," Andrew told the boy with a wink.

(-.-)

"Hey, Trix," Spud nudged his girlfriend, who was dozing on his arm.

"Mmm?" She replied, voice heavy with sleep. She tilted her head so that she was looking at some of the shaggy brown hair that belonged to Spud. "What's up?"

"I just got a text."

"Congratu-fucking-lations," Trixie growled. "You have friends."

"Brat," Spud spat, tickling her ribs.

Trixie giggled, pushing Spud away. "No," she whined. "I don't like this."

She tried to put her sock feet up his nose, which he didn't take very kindly to. Spud planted his butt on her thighs, leaning so that his side ran along her chest, effectively pinning Trixie to her own couch.

"I'll bite," Trixie threatened. "I'll scream."

"Will you let me speak?" Spud demanded, his tone tinted with sarcasm and exasperation.

"Continue," Trixie replied with a sassy wave.

"Jake just texted me," Spud informed her.

He felt Trixie blanch underneath him. "Jake doesn't text anymore; doesn't reach out at all!"

"Well he wants to meet at the new indoor skate park. Apparently his parents got him a new board for Christmas and he wants to try it out."

Trixie was struggling to sit up, a smile breaking her features. "It's been so long since the three of us boarded together! Let's go; let's go right now. Tell him we'll meet him there – come on, Spud, get off of me!"

"You're cute when you get excited."

"Shut up, kiss me, get your board, let's go!"

"All at once?" Spud teased, rolling off of Trixie.

"Shut up."

"We both know I'm no good at that one," Spud teased, grabbing his board from behind the front door, tossing Trixie her helmet.

Trixie caught it with ease. "Kiss me."

"That one I am good at." Spud captured her lips with his own. "I've got my board." Spud buckled his helmet over his hair and hat.

"So let's go!" Trixie trumpeted, bolting out Spud's front door. She flipped her board under her feet with ease, leaving Spud scrambling in her wake.

"He's meeting us there?" Trixie confirmed, shivering in the sudden cold air.

"That's what he said," Spud replied, wrapping an arm around a telephone pole so that he didn't zoom into oncoming traffic. Trixie had stopped gracefully and was waiting for the light to turn.

"Good," she smiled. "I missed him."

"I wonder what his new board looks like. Do you think it's that one that we were all freaking out over from Don's?"

"Probably," Trixie shrugged as the light turned and they headed onward, down the city streets for the new indoor skate park.

"Lucky ol' Jake." Spud muttered under his breath, realizing how untrue they were the moment they left his mouth. Nothing about Jake's life was even remotely lucky, most of the time anyway.

He flipped his board up into his hand, opening the front door of the skate park so that Trixie didn't have to so much as jump off of her board to enter the building; she just rolled on in. Spud quickly followed. They rolled past the cafeteria and food stands, the path to the bleachers, heading into the pit where all of the tricks and other boarders were.

"Do you see him?" Trixie asked, eyes roaming the plethora of skateboarders that were using the equipment.

Spud didn't have to answer that. He had spotted Jake the moment he had entered the skate park. No one else rode like that.

**I don't own anything recognizable. Thanks to my wonderful beta: noble6!**

**~TLL~**


	30. Deep-Rooted

Rose strode into the labs, alone. 88 and 89 were in class; a necessity for Clan members their age. Andrew was out on the streets, reaping in money for the Clan and trying to kill magical creatures with his drugs. Rose didn't mind the solitude. She could barely remember the last time she'd had a full minute to herself, without someone just on their other side of the door. Of course, it's been a terribly long time since she's seen Jake, too. That probably won't happen until school lets in again; just four more days to go.

"May I help you?" One of the lab techs was looking at Rose, a slight look of fear on her face.

"I'm looking for someone to help me design a locating device." Rose met her eyes. "Are you the person that can do that?"

"I'm number 76," the lab tech replied. "I can do whatever you need me to."

"Excellent," Rose shook the lab tech's hand. "So, 76, here's what we need to do." Rose pulled the two gems the Huntsclan had in possession – the Fire and Water gems. "I need you to test these; see if they admit the same frequency."

"Rocks. Frequency. Got it." 76 nodded along with every word she said.

"No," Rose was quick to correct her. "Priceless magical gems. Ruin them you're dead. Frequency. Got it?"

"Yes Huntsgirl," 76 stuttered. "I understand completely."

"Get to testing," Rose urged, finding a comfortable place to curl up and sit. "I must watch over the gems at all times, you understand?"

76 nodded, her hands quivering as she picked up the precious gems to begin testing.

(-.-)

"We have had a vision," the Oracle Twins announced over breakfast.

Jake stared down at his cereal and pretended he hadn't heard them.

"Please, share," Gramps invited, while Fu sat up eagerly.

"We have seen fire," one of them announced.

"There's a shocker," Fu replied, sassily. "It's not like we're surrounded by dragons or anything."

The Oracle Twins snapped their heads around to glare at him. "Do _not_ mock us!" They screeched. "We are _helping_ you!"

Fu, quivering slightly from the force of their voices, nodded. "Yes, I understand. I'm sorry."

"It wasn't a clear vision: we can only assume that it will become much clearer as it comes closer. We saw fire – dragon fire. We also saw death, lots of it."

"Lots?" Lao Shi repeated. "The final showdown is only happening between two people. Shouldn't there only be one death?"

Jake almost wanted to shout at his grandfather; wanted to remind the old man that they weren't talking about _people_ they were talking about _him_ and his death. No matter what happened when he had to fight against the Huntsgirl, he wasn't walking away. He was going to be sacrificed. And his grandfather was discussing it as casually as others might discuss the weather.

"We saw many." One of the Oracle Twins snapped.

"But we do not think this vision is from the upcoming fight," the other added. "We think this vision comes from even further in the future."

"Why do you say that?" Fu questioned.

"We cannot say for sure. It just does not feel as though it will be happening soon. We can feel it in our bones and it does not feel close," one of them explained.

"Have you seen anything about the upcoming fight?" Lao Shi pressed, although carefully. He did not want to anger the Oracle Twins.

The twins turned to face each other, haunted eyes meeting, colourless hands grasping at the other's. The put their foreheads together, taking a deep breath. After a long pause, breathless waiting, they finally turned around to look at Lao Shi, Fu, and Jake.

"We have some advice to give: do not question us on it because we cannot explain." They said.

"I understand," Lao Shi replied immediately, Fu echoing his words.

Jake was barely listening.

"You must trust_ her_." One said. "When the time comes, and you will know when that time arrives, you must."

"Trust who?" Fu asked without thinking.

"Not you," the other hissed. "Lao Shi must trust her."

Lao Shi swallowed, feeling a heaviness grow deep within his stomach. Something was not sitting well with the old man. He didn't like this situation of 'trust' coming up with an unknown female. It was all too vague for a person who liked to work in specifics.

"Also, Lao Shi, your plan will work out how you wish it to."

Fu snapped up, looking at Gramps. "Plan? What plan? The plan to kill the Huntsgirl?"

"The plan to capture her," Lao Shi lied smoothly. It was only a half-lie. He was planning on capturing the Huntsgirl as soon as they could track her whereabouts with any certainty.

"Which will happen in two weeks." The Oracle Twins added.

"Two weeks?" Fu blubbered.

Jake's head shot up. Two weeks? That was not leaving them with a lot of time … Not that he cared (at least, he wanted to believe he didn't care; in truth, he cared very much).

"Prepare for her arrival," the Oracle Twins hummed.

"We will."

"That is all we can offer for now." The Oracle Twins joined hands. "We will be in the attic if you need us."

"Are you sure you are comfortable there?" Lao Shi inquired after the duo.

"Quite," they replied, flashing bright teeth as they smiled.

Jake thought the expression made them look like predators.

"We thank you for being so accommodating to us." The twins bowed to Lao Shi, straightened, and disappeared up the stairs.

"That was … informational." Lao Shi said after the twins were out of earshot.

"Two weeks," Fu whistled. "How will we contain her?"

"The cylindrical containment shields," Lao Shi answered, sliding down from the breakfast table. "Come, Fu, we must set up for her arrival. I do not doubt the Oracle Twins but I want to be prepared in every way possible."

"Gotcha," Fu clamored down behind his Master, heading for the shop. He hesitated just above the stairs. "Jake?" He prompted the boy.

Jake looked up, meeting his eyes.

"Are you coming?"

Jake pushed his unfinished cereal away from him, stood up, and followed his dog down the stairs.

(-.-)

"I think I've got this tuned to their frequency," 76 said, biting her lip.

"You _think_?" Rose sneered. She didn't mean to be disagreeable but she had been down in this lab all day and she had been counting on being in and out in an hour, perhaps two.

"It was difficult enough discovering that the gems were, in fact, tuned to the same frequency. Making the device was twice as tricky." 76 tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She had glimpsed the Huntsgirl from afar but had never been in close contact with her. Now that 76 had been with the Huntsgirl for several hours, she could see why so many feared her. Though the Huntsgirl appeared young, she was fierce, and could no doubt murder 76 without a second thought.

"Take the device," 76 said, gingerly pressing the small thing, contrived of plastic, metal, and advanced technology, into Huntsgirl's gloved hands. "I will hide the gems somewhere inside of the lab – nowhere too far – " she stammered quickly, seeing how Huntsgirl's eyes became hard, "and you see if you can find them using the device."

Rose nodded her consent, and closed her eyes. 76's movements were clunky, shuffled. No wonder she had been stuffed in the lab instead of put out into field work. Even if Rose didn't have the gadget, she would have been able to find the gems quickly, simply by using her hearing.

"All done," 76 announced, curling up in the chair she had spent the greater part of the day in.

Rose looked down at the item in her hand – no bigger than a computer mouse – and flicked the on switch. It vibrated softly in her hand. She rotated it so that it was facing the southern corner of the room. A red light on the top of the gadget lit up, indicating that it was scanning. The light went out and nothing appeared on the screen to indicate that there was a gem in the southern corner.

It was right.

Rose flipped it to the northern corner where she had heard 76 crashing around several moments before. The red light turned on. It scanned, vibrating a little more forcefully than it usually did from the effort. On the small screen appeared the outline of what it had scanned, showing that it was picking up a frequency from the third cupboard on the left. Rose went to the cupboard and opened it, finding the water gem there.

She pocketed it and reset the device, pointing it toward the western corner. 76 held her breath, hoping she had gotten it right. She couldn't imagine what the Huntsgirl would do if she had been disappointed. Luckily for 76, the machine also located the fire gem, buried beneath a pile of folders in a colleague's desk. Rose pulled out the second gem and grinned. It wasn't an effective long range device, but 76 had promised to work on that one – it would take more time than the short range one.

"Thank you for your effort," Rose said, turning off the locator. "The Clan appreciates your efforts."

76 breathed a sigh of relief. "I am glad to be of use to the Clan. I will start work on the long range device as soon as I am able – it should take no more than a week."

"Excellent." Rose smiled. The other two gems were hers. The dragons, too, would soon be hers. She would have to enlist the help of a second lab tech for that gem. "Who else works in this lab?"

"45 – my mate." 76 breathed. "Why?"

"Is he working on any outstanding orders from anyone?" Rose inquired.

"No," 76 shook her head. "He just finished a new weapons design for the Huntsmaster – he's in a meeting now. But if his design is cleared it will be sent to the factories to be mass produced by the workers. He will not be busy."

"Ask him to build me a dragon tracking device – I need one that is able to cover large areas. Such as New York City."

"I will." 76 nodded sharply. "Shall I send word directly to you?" She asked. She hoped that the Huntsgirl would say no; that she could communicate directly with the Huntsgirl's second in commands – 88 and 89. Secretly, 76 thought it was a shame that those two boys had ended up with the Huntsgirl. She had taught them in their first few years of schooling: they would have gone much further without being exposed to the deadly nature of the Huntsgirl. She was going to ruin them.

Rose barely had to ponder this. "No. Communicate directly with 88 or 89. They will get word back to me much more swiftly than if you had to come directly to me."

76 nodded. "As you wish, Huntsgirl. It was a pleasure to have you visit in the labs."

Rose's eyes swept over the older woman. She took in her eyes and exposed mouth , seeing how tight they were. _Liar_, Rose thought, knowing full well 76 despised her, probably like so many others in the Clan. "I'm sure," Rose purred, sweeping out the doors. She paused, just before leaving. "I will expect a daily update. Before dinner."

"Whatever you ask," 76 replied.

(-.-)

The basement of the shop was a dark, dismal place that Jake had hated ever since he was a child. He still hated it to this day but he had spent hours in the basement, preparing it for the Huntsgirl's eventual imprisonment there.

Three of the containment shields were set up – one for the Huntsgirl, the other two in case they had to bring in her companions too. They were in the shape of a cylinder and they stretched from floor to ceiling. A person who possessed dragon blood could walk through the force field that made up the cylinder and not be harmed. Anyone else would be temporarily paralyzed with an electric shock.

"I don't think there are any more precautions for us to take," Lao Shi revealed.

"If there are, we have two more weeks to think about it," Fu responded.

They headed upstairs to begin dinner preparations.

Jake, though he despised the basement, stayed rooted to the floor. In two weeks, the Huntsgirl would be trapped down here. In two weeks, everything about the prophecy was going to become real. Jake didn't think he could handle it, any of it. He also knew that he would have to – he didn't have a choice in the matter.

**Thanks to my beta: noble6. I don't own anything recognizable!**

**~TLL~**


	31. Olden

"Hi, Gramps!" Haley exclaimed, holding the phone tightly to her ear.

"Haley, nice to hear from you. How are you?"

"Doing good," Haley sang, bouncing onto her toes as she talked. "Not lookin' forward to school tomorrow."

"No, I don't think Jake is either," Gramps said quietly. In truth, he wasn't sure what Jake thought. He wasn't sure about anything involving Jake; he had been planning and reorganizing and rethinking everything that had to do with Jake and it still wasn't working the way he wanted it to.

"Can you put him on the phone?" Haley inquired, getting toward the reason why she had called in the first place.

"Sure, just give me a minute." Haley heard the clink of the phone, being placed on the countertop, and the sound of footsteps. "Jake! Haley wants you to pick up the phone."

Another shuffle. A beep. A breath. Another beep – Gramps hanging up his phone.

"Jake?" Haley asked.

"Yes?"

Haley noted how strong his voice was; how much it had changed since he had first spoken to her all those months ago. She was proud of him: he had come so far and he was still climbing. Her big brother had always been her hero and this was just one of the many reasons why.

"I want to know if you'll go skating with me."

"Skating." Jake repeated blandly.

"Don't sound so excited," Haley chastised with a touch of sarcasm and a dash of laughter. "Please? Mom and Dad said that I could go to the outdoor rink they set up in the park."

"Half an hour?" Jake offered.

"Half an hour!" Haley confirmed. "Love ya, Jake, meet you there."

"Love ya," He muttered back, just as she hung up the phone.

Haley quickly dressed in her warm clothes. She packed her skates and extra gloves in her book bag. She was just about to step outside her door, running to the park, before she paused. She turned back to her dresser, pulling Jake's Christmas present off of her dresser. She fastened the beautiful necklace around her throat, admired her reflection, and then bounced off to the park, determined to beat her brother there.

(-.-)

Rose slipped through the New York City streets. Even though it was daylight, she was still invisible. Huntsgirl knew how to disappear in a crowd; how to make sure even when people were looking at her that no one saw her. She had the short-range frequency device on her belt, set to scan in every direction for 5-10 meters away. She wasn't expecting to find anything, but she had it going anyway. She had linked the gadget to her communicator; a voice would alert her if the scanner picked up on anything.

She was picking her way through the snow of the park – not Central Park – but a smaller, out of the way, unspoiled piece of earth in the city. There was a fair bit of people around – not too many but more than she had expected. Rose had been looking for solitude more than anything today. There were small children darting around, playing on a manmade rink near the center of the park. Parents stood a way off, gossiping and keeping an eye on their young ones.

Rose skirted the edges of the park; thinking of where she could go that might be less populated. She was thinking of heading into Andrew's district, usually empty except for her colleague and his assortment of clients. She had just turned her back to the pond when a voice came in her ear.

"Frequency located."

Rose's heart stopped. She spun around, eyes landing on the pond. Which one of these people possessed her gem? Could it be one of the dragons, in hiding, keeping the gems close? She pawed at her belt, dragging the scanner out of its pouch. She inspected the screen that showed what it had picked up. There was the vague outline of a child that appeared – a female, long hair, pigtails, clearly outlined. The gem was bright, around her neck, close to her collarbones. The gem was on a necklace. The screen zoomed out a bit, showing that the female child was not on the pond, but rather, a short way off, possible tying up her skates.

Rose placed the scanner back in its belt. She skittered around to the side of the pond that the child had been shown to be located on. She kept her eyes peeled for pigtails, finally lighting in on them. There was a relatively large group of trees to Rose's left. In front of the trees, a small body was bent at the waist, dark pigtails popping over the hood of her parka.

Huntsgirl crept closer. She didn't know if she felt right about attacking a child. _But_, she reasoned_, it wouldn't have to be an attack._ A quick arm around the child's neck, break or undo the chain, and run off with the gem. The child would be scared but there would be no lasting damage. Rose crouched low behind a bush, taking a moment to survey the skaters and their parents. They weren't close: did not pose a threat of noticing if Rose took the child while she was still over by the trees.

Rose shifted into a better position as the child straightened, turning around. That's when Rose's heart dropped – the child was Haley Long.

Rose forced her eyes to drop from Haley's face to her neck. It was almost a slap to recognize the necklace Haley was wearing; to realize that Rose had held the Air Gem – the lost, legendary Air Gem – and never noticed. She had held the necklace, admired the beauty, and handed it to Jake for him to give to his little sister for Christmas. She took a deep breath: no matter what, that gem had to go home with her. No matter who Haley was to her; no matter how much she liked the child, she could not make exceptions. The survival of the Clan was resting on Rose's shoulders, and if she had to scare Haley, so be it. Haley would never know who did it anyway.

Rose crept closer.

Haley remained oblivious.

Huntsgirl acted before she could think. Her arm went around Haley's neck, the younger girl's throat falling into the crook of her elbow. Her other hand went around, muffling Haley's yelp of terror. Keeping alert of the people not far off, Rose tried to adjust her arms so that she could pull the chain away from Haley. One of the adults near the pond glanced up. Rose didn't think she had been seen, but she couldn't take that chance. She dragged Haley into the copse of trees, no longer exposed to those who had been near the makeshift skating rink.

It was then that Haley and Rose heard the noise, simultaneously looking up.

(-.-)

Jake meandered into the park, walking at a leisurely pace. He didn't see Haley yet, and didn't see the harm in taking his sweet time. He kicked at the snow, soft and powdery beneath his boots. He weaved through the trees, wanting to stay away from the unfamiliar crowds. He was becoming more comfortable with the people he was closest with but he was, in no way, dealing with people that he didn't have to. He was tucked behind the tree line when he noticed them – two figures who appeared to be locked in a struggle.

Jake squinted, feeling a brief flash of hero's instinct in his veins. He shook his head. This was not his fight; not his problem. Still, he found himself drawing closer to the two figures. He squinted at the figures – one was tall and slim but undeniably female. The other also appeared to be female but smaller, more childlike; this one had long pigtails and a bright pink coat that looked a lot like Haley's.

His heartbeat changed. That figure didn't _look_ like Haley, that figure_ was_ Haley. Jake sped up, knowing that he had no choice but to get involved. That was his little sister, his responsibility, the person he owed the most to. He was just within shouting distance when he recognized the other figure. Dressed in a thick grey outfit, a mask obscuring her features and a long blonde braid flying down her back – this could be no one other than the Huntsgirl. Her hands were locked around Haley's neck – this evil villain who he had to face in an undeniably short amount of time.

Something in Jake began to burn.

He had to spin away from the scene, plastering his back against the rough bark of a tree. The fire made adrenaline punch through his veins; his stomach twisted; his heart hardened. His sharp hearing picked up a cry from Haley – muted but filled with pure terror. The fire took over; ringing through his body and Jake knew what he had to do. He had to save Haley and he had to do it using any means necessary.

Taking a deep breath, Jake muttered those long dead but legendary words, "dragon up."

The change was not as swift as he remembered. It wracked his body, making him fall to his knees, hands digging into the snow. His first change, when he was a young teenager, had been painful too but it could not compare to what this was: he had done too much to his body to make this easy. He felt every pull on his human flesh as it rippled into hard scales – bright splashes of red and yellow. There was a tear at the tips of his fingers and toes, claws forcing through the tops. His spine felt as though it was being stretched, elongated past its natural limits, as his tail appeared. His hair tugged, feeling as though nails were being drawn across his back as the mane that ran from the top of his head halfway down his tail erupted. His bones, all throughout his body, clogged together, changing shape – that from human to mystical creature. It felt as though there was lava instead of marrow inside of him. The worst feeling was in his shoulder blades. They felt as though they were being torn through his flesh, sharp triangles forcing themselves, stretching out – _crying out_. He felt as though he was going to vomit from the pain. His wings emerged, wrapping around his upper body as though it were a hug – a comforting gesture from the body that caused him so much pain.

The transformation left Jake face down in the snow, panting and sure there was blood pouring from every bit of his body.

Another whimper from Haley brought him to his feet. He stretched his wings, lifting his body into the air for the first time in months. The rush of air cooled the painful heat that had coated him since his transformation. The loud rush of wings rushed over Jake's mind, leaving no room for thoughts, other than: _Haley_.

He was just over the struggle between Haley and Huntsgirl. With a whoosh, he slipped into a nosedive, swooping toward the ground, letting a jet of flame escape from his lips as he did so.

(-.-)

The moment Haley laid her eyes on him she ceased to move; she ceased to breathe. It was a sight that she thought she would never see again – the American Dragon coming in to save the day. He looked strong, he looked sure: a look she had not seen on his human face in over a year. She had never seen a more magnificent sight. Flame shot out of his jaw, melting the snow on the branches of nearby trees.

Haley dropped to the ground, released by the Huntsgirl's limp arms. She stayed there, eyes locked on her brother.

(-.-)

Rose's body went as taunt as a bow. Every muscle in her was full of tension – if touched, she would probably explode. She had been in the city for months and had not seen hide or hair of the American Dragon. She had barely seen his mentor out and about. Yet, here he was. And he looked fitter than ever; she had been right, he had been in training, waiting for the day they would face off, prepared to be the herald of her death. All at once, she felt her muscles go; Haley Long collapsing into the snow. She wanted to drop along with the girl, staring at her own humanity; her own mortality.

The fire that he released rekindled the one in Rose: the fire of her bitterness toward him, the way that he was the one she had always needed to kill – the nemesis she had never been able to defeat. Taking a fighting stance, positioning herself in front of Haley (who he was surely here to protect), Rose grabbed for her staff, the cruel weapon conforming to her hand.

She watched the American Dragon approach, unparalleled hatred in her eyes.

**I don't own anything recognizable. We're picking up the pace, ladies and gents! Thanks to my fantastic beta, Noble6!**

**~TLL~**


	32. Invariably

The American Dragon landed in the snow, an arm's length away from Rose. He froze, poised, inspecting her. Rose shifted so that she was standing in front of Haley; no matter what, she could not let the American Dragon get close to Haley. Haley was leverage; Haley was still wearing her gem. As she looked at the American Dragon she felt her childhood annoyance at him flicker. The American Dragon had always been the one that had made her the angriest. He had seemed to be able to press every button that she'd had.

Her feeling had not faded with time; it had grown into a bitter animosity.

"Dragon," Rose growled, clenching her fist and unleashing her staff. The weapon was hard and strong in her hand, the metal warming in her palm. The end of the staff – designed for stabbing – also glowed with electricity, ready to incapacitate the dragon.

The American Dragon did not respond. His jaw dropped slightly before snapping up. Perhaps he had grown above their immature banter and jibes. From his stationary position, Rose also had to wonder if he had grown above fighting her. She watched his bright eyes move to Haley, the young girl scrambling backward in the snow.

Rose took a long leap, landing just behind Haley's head. She let out a loud yelp, flipping onto her hands and knees, trying to crawl away. Rose grabbed Haley's bright pink hood, yanking the girl off of her feet. Haley dangled helplessly, trying to scratch at Rose's face. The Huntsgirl didn't even feel the slightest flash of remorse as she threw the child into the trunk of a nearby tree, hoping to incapacitate her victim long enough to fight her enemy.

As she threw Haley, the American Dragon sprang toward her, claws outstretched. If she hadn't seen him out of the corner of her eye, she surely would have been laying bleeding on the fresh snow. As it was, Rose was able to move gracefully out of the way. The dragon tripped over his own feet. Rose had to scramble to get back between the creature and Haley before he could snatch the gem away. The dragon whirled around, tail smacking against a nearby tree.

As Rose dropped into a defensive crouch she realized something. It was perhaps the most annoying thing she had ever realized about the American Dragon.

She could not kill him.

If she killed him now, the prophecy would be void. Her chance to rid the world of dragon kind would be lost. She could injure but she could not kill._ And I had such a clear shot to the heart_, Rose thought mournfully. The dragon took to the air just above her. He was trying to glide over her, pick up Haley, and fly off into the sky. She couldn't let that happen. Acting on instinct, Rose drew her arm back, throwing her staff upward. It raked across the skin, over his aforementioned heart. The dragon cried out in pain. Rose snatched her staff as it fell, hiding the weapon away.

She could do no more here. She had to get out as quickly as possible. The dragon collapsed to the ground, blood pooling on the snow. Huntsgirl dove for Haley, standing behind the girl. She looped her finger around the thick chain, pulling it forcefully. Haley let out a strangled noise, hands flying to her throat. Rose pulled the chain until it snapped under the pressure. As it let go, Haley also fell, unsupported by anything else.

Rose paused, wondering if she should try to stick a tracker on the dragon when he lifted his head. There was vengeance in his eyes. Quickly, she flitted away, running through the trees. She tucked the gem securely in her pocket, a victorious smile stealing over her face. Soon, she would have all the gems. She would win the fight. The Clan, and the world, would be free.

Rose heard a roar behind her but knew the American Dragon would not give chase. He had a victim to take care of. A strange mirth bubbled through Rose; she felt untouchable and on top of the world. It came with besting the enemy of her childhood – and knowing that, in the end, she would be the only one alive.

(-.-)

The moment Jake was sure the threat was gone, he let go. Keeping up the dragon persona had been work; he hadn't ever remembered it as being work before. He released his form, collapsing as he did so. The return to human was as painful as it was leaving it except this time his body was rushed. It happened in a matter of excruciating seconds. Jake fell into the snow, gasping for air.

"Jake!" Haley was screaming his name. She was pulling on his hand, trying to get him up but he wasn't responding. She could see blood coming through his jacket onto the snow. His eyes began to grow dim and his lids began to shut.

"Jake!"

He tried to open his eyes for his sister; he recognized her voice and knew that this was something that he must do. But he couldn't. He felt cold and it wasn't just from the snow against his skin. He was feeling cold from the inside out.

"Help!" He heard Haley's voice but it was far off, too distance for him to grab onto.

Jake closed his eyes completely, feeling a calm come over the cold.

(-.-)

"I am _fucking_ sick of you scaring me."

Jake's eyes flew open at the sentence. There was a searing pain coming from his chest; his head ached. But it was the shock that blew through him like a bullet. His little sister was seated at the edge of his bed in Gramps' house. His little sister had just sworn at him.

What?

"Excuse you," Jake snapped. He attempted to slide himself into a sitting position before realizing that he didn't have enough strength. He settled against his pillows, watching Haley.

"I said I am fucking sick of you scaring me." Haley repeated, staring him dead in the eye.

"Why are you swearing at me?"

"Because you keep getting hurt and I keep thinking I'm going to lose my brother and I need you to stop," Haley looked at him, eyes shining with tears. "I can't live without my big brother."

Jake looked at her broken face. He didn't have the words to tell her about the prophecy; didn't have the heart to explain. Instead, he opened his arms, feeling the sharp pull on his wound. He looked up at the clean, bandaged, rip in his flesh. He looked away just as quickly. It just served as another reminder of the Huntsgirl, the one he would soon have to face.

Haley crawled up the bedding toward him. She nestled into the crook of his arm, his heartbeat next to her ear. The bandage was right in eye-shot. Her throat ached as she thought of what had occurred hours earlier. She wondered why she had been attacked; why the Huntsgirl had wanted her necklace.

She was glad that no one had been hurt worse than they could have been. The Huntsgirl could have easily killed Jake. Haley shivered at the thought. She had never met the Huntsgirl face to face before this afternoon. Now that she had seen the girl's feral elegance, fatal grace, compared to Jake's tumbling as he tried to regain his body, she was afraid. The Huntsgirl radiated death and destruction. Jake's heroic light paled next to the blackness the Huntsgirl channeled.

Haley had never been so afraid of anyone in her entire life.

(-.-)

Rose arrived at the Huntsquarters. She bounded into the building and straight to the Master's rooms. She did not think of arriving unannounced, did not worry that he might be doing something. Nothing could be more important than the gem in her pocket or the sighting of the American Dragon. She knocked on the door.

"Name," the Huntsmaster barked from inside.

"Huntsgirl," Rose exclaimed.

"I'm busy." He snapped.

"He's back," Rose countered.

There was nothing from the inside for a long, tense moment. Rose suddenly worried that the Master didn't know what _him_ she had been talking about. She was about to open her mouth to explain in more, quiet, detail when there was rush of footsteps. The door to the Master's office was thrown open. He stood in front of her, eyes pinning Rose down.

"The dragon?" Master clarified, Rose confirming with a nod.

"Get inside."

Rose allowed herself to be ushered in. She took her usual seat across from Master's on opposite sides of his desk. She waited until the Master had settled himself in his chair, but before he could say anything, she reached into her pocket, the gem fitting into the cup of her hand. She brought her first to over the table. Master put his open hand under hers. She dropped the gem into it. Master brought the gem close to his face.

"The Air Gem," he breathed.

"The dragon was going to fight me for it," Rose explained.

"So they only have the Earth Gem." The Huntsmaster stood, placing the gem with its brethren.

"Not for long," Rose said cockily. "I've got the labs working on a few things. Now that I know the American Dragon is actually here, it should be much easier to find him."

"Yes," the Master agreed, looking at his young protégée who was lazily spread out in the armchair across from his desk. Her long legs and slight form were intoxicating to the eye. "I want details though – every little detail on the fight."

Rose nodded, and began to explain.

(-.-)

"Something has shifted."

Lao Shi looked to the Oracle Twins. They had ventured from the attic home to the shop floor where he and Fu had been dusting and trying not to dwell on things.

"What?" Lao Shi asked dryly. The words stuck in his throat. He appreciated everything they could do for them but every time they opened their mouths, he was worried that they would bring news of death.

"It's about your plan. It will not work." The Twins shook their heads. "We apologize; we know that you were riding on that plan."

Lao Shi looked at his wrinkled hands. The plan would not work. The words shook the old man to the core. His plan had been to sacrifice himself for Jake. His grandson would fight, but Lao Shi would give himself over as the gem. He was now burdened with the knowledge that it would not work; he couldn't save Jake.

"We have not seen anything more of fire."

"The arrival of the Huntsgirl is still on track. But," the Oracle Twins made sure that both man and dog were focused on them before continuing, "there is three."

"Her companions," Fu whispered.

Lao Shi nodded. They had already prepared for the two males that the Huntsgirl kept in her company.

"Also . . . " The Twins seemed almost hesitant to continue, "the Huntsclan has the Air Gem."

"What?" Lao Shi exclaimed, his face turning red in anger. He slammed his fist onto the table, trying to work through some of his frustrations. "How?"

"The attack on your grandchildren. The necklace that Jake gave to Haley for Christmas was the gem. The Huntsgirl stole the gem from Haley this afternoon."

"Now all they need is the Earth Gem." Lao Shi's eyes darted toward the shelf where the gem was carefully hidden. He needed to figure out how to get the other three gems into his possession.

"And they will get it," the Oracle Twins assured him.

"No," Fu cried. "How is that going to happen?"

One of the twins smirked. The other looked uncertain. "Through trust," they said.

Lao Shi's stomach clenched. They were referencing one of their last visions; his impending deal of trust with an unknown woman. However, if they were implying he was going to give the gem to someone, deliver it to the Huntsclan, they were dead wrong.

"Oh no," The twins shook their heads in tandem, luminescent strands mingling from their proximity. "We are never wrong." They met his eyes, seemingly reading his thoughts.

"One last thing," they said, linking arms and preparing for their exit. "We have a message for you, Lao Shi."

"Yes?"

"Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet?"

**Thanks to my great beta: Noble6. I don't own anything recognizable.**

**~TLL~**


	33. Persistent

Jake eased himself gently out of bed, trying not to disturb Haley who had fallen asleep several minutes ago, tear stains still prominent on her face. It had broken his heart that Haley had been crying, especially over something so insignificant: him. She had cried because he was hurt and she had cried because she had not been able to stop it; _"if only I had transformed"_. But Jake was glad she hadn't. Haley had never been in a real fight, and she had never had any combat training. She would have been a hindrance to him, something that he could not have afforded at that point in time.

His feet hit the floor and he tensed from the chill. His wound ached from his rigid muscles and Jake put a hand over his chest, trying to steady himself. He knew that it could have been a lot worse; the Huntsgirl could have killed him right there. As it was, the wound was barely a scratch and would heal, he hoped, fairly soon.

"Where are you going?" Haley asked, just as he was going to slip out the door.

"Sleep," Jake urged her, keeping his voice low. Gramps and Fu had gone to bed and heaven forbid the Oracle Twins be disturbed. The only thing more disconcerting than seeing them in daylight would be encountering them in the moonlight hours.

"Jake," Haley groaned, "where are you going?"

Jake paused. "Bathroom. Sleep."

Haley, content with his answer, rolled back over to face the wall.

Jake continued to the bathroom; that part hadn't been a lie. However, he wasn't going to use the facilities. He flicked on the light, stepping onto the cool tile floor. He closed the door, locking it behind him. He didn't think he would be bothered – everyone else was sleeping – but he didn't want to be disturbed on the off chance someone woke up. Because, though it wasn't much, what he was about to do was a very big deal to Jake. Yes, he had done it a thousand times before. But he had not done it in many months, and that's what made it a big deal.

Jake sat his tools along the sink.

He took a long look in the mirror.

For some reason, he thought he looked different.

There was something in his eyes, the length of his jaw that showcased just who he was inside. Inside, he was no longer the scared child that couldn't handle the pressure of the world. He had broken that child into pieces and had tried to patch him up with drugs and lies. Eventually, he had, unwittingly, shaped something strong. He was no longer scared (nor was he confident as he had been with his youthful arrogance), he was no longer trembling toward the enormity of the destiny he'd been marked with since he was born. It was hard, it was painful, but he was now able to accept who he was; he was a hero (or at least, he had aspired to be since he learned he could fly) and if that meant dying for the cause, dying so others would live their lives in peace, it was what he must do.

The choice wasn't easy. It meant giving up everything that he recently realized he wanted. He wanted _life_. He wanted _experience_ and _love_. He had to let go of that.

Jake looked into the mirror and nodded, a signal to himself that it was time to stop fighting fate. He was the American Dragon and the title had once meant the world to him. Now, it meant his entire being. He had battled against who he was for far too long and he couldn't do it anymore. If he couldn't accept himself, he couldn't accept anything else.

Jake bowed his head, reaching for his scissors. Keeping an eye on the mirror so he could see what he was doing, he began to get rid of his hair. It was too long and straggly; had been reaching toward his cheekbones, making he and Haley look more alike than ever. The bits of green that had once been his pride and joy had faded into pale nothings – almost blond tips at the bottom of his hair. He cut it all away, reforming his hair into what it had been the last time he had felt like himself.

When he straightened up, his hair had returned to its favourite, near gravity-defying shape. It was stark black. Jake shook his head at the colour and tipped his head back upside down, bleaching and dying the tips of his hair.

When he was finished, he studied his reflection, a near smile on his face. He didn't have much time left – the Huntsgirl and her companions were going to be theirs in a matter of days; the anniversary of his change was swiftly approaching. Soon, everything would be gone. He had to capture what he could while he still had the chance.

Somehow, what little pieces of his former life he'd been able to collect would have to be enough.

(-.-)

Rose coiled into her chair. Rotwood was at the front of the classroom, writing today's lesson on the board: _Vampires And Where To Find Them._ Rose rolled her eyes; she found the man's ignorance comical. Still, playing the role of the dutiful student, she pulled her paper and pens from her schoolbag, displaying them on her desk. When she looked up, Jake had taken his seat beside her.

Rose glanced over at him, some unknown feeling bubbling into her heart. She hadn't seen Jake in way too long; she had missed him. Yet, she hadn't realized how much she had missed him until he was right next to her. She looked over at him, finding him looking back at her.

"Your hair!" She exclaimed, noticing the change right off the bat.

Jake looked rather self-conscious as he brushed his hand against his new look.

"I really like it," Rose continued. She reached out to touch the colourful strands for herself. "I think it really suits you."

Jake smiled, though shyly. There was something childlike in the look; so much so that Rose couldn't help but grin herself.

"Hey, Rose," Trixie spun around in her seat, facing the couple, making both of them jump in surprise. "Do you skateboard?"

Rose shook her head. She had never tried to master it, either. She had no doubts that she could; she possessed many skills that could add up to riding a skateboard. But, it had never been anything that she'd had to do.

"Oh, well, the three of us were going out to the indoor skate park after school and then we were going for pizza. Do you want to come? Even just to hang out; you don't have to board."

Rose agreed quickly; Jake's fingers wrapping around hers only assured her that she was doing the right thing.

(-.-)

Rose was sitting on a bench, in the skate park, flipping through her calculus notes, when she _knew_.

Immediately, she looked over to Jake, heart hammering. He was doing some kind of trick that involved grabbing the back of his skateboard. He looked more relaxed than she could, really, ever remember him being. Just as quickly, she looked away. She still couldn't breathe. She still couldn't think.

Why had she never noticed before? Better yet, why did she have to know at all? She couldn't remember feeling like this before; like she was free-falling and didn't know where she would land.

Rose was sitting on a bench, in the skate park, flipping through her calculus notes, when she knew she was in love with Jacob Long.

She knew that she couldn't fall in love with him. She had duties and a whole other life. She wasn't even going to be able to be 'Rose' for too much longer. But still, she had. She was in love with someone whose voice she had never even heard because it was through his gestures, through the things that he loved, that she had, somehow, gotten to see into the depth of him. She thought those depths were beautiful. They were also terrifying but Rose had never been one for fear.

Yet, she was still sitting there, paralyzed, when Jake, Spud, and Trixie approached her, skateboard clutched in their hands.

"Ready to grab a slice?" Spud asked her.

Rose nodded mutely, throwing her notes into her book bag so she didn't have to look at Jake. She followed them, just as quietly as they ducked into the pizza place just around the corner.

Jake noticed her silence as they ate. Rose usually talked so much that when she paused to take a breath, the lack of noise was incredibly bizarre. He took her hand as they were getting ready to leave. She seemed to jump at his touch, something she had never done before. He was quite convinced a bomb could go off next to Rose and she wouldn't flinch.

Concerned, he wrapped an arm around her waist, keeping her anchored to him as Spud and Trixie said their goodbyes, heading back to Spud's. Jake steered Rose toward Gramps' house. She leaned into him and he felt mildly better; she wasn't angry with him (though why she would be angry at all, he had no idea).

Rose tripped along at Jake's side, not knowing what to say. She couldn't remember the last time she had been at a loss for words; at a loss for anything. She reached, out of habit; up to her neck to toy with the necklace Master had given her for Christmas but realized that she had forgotten to put it on this morning. She settled for playing with the ends of her hair, hoping the motion would help to calm her buzzing mind and allow her to think.

It was strange, realizing that she was in love. As she thought about it, she realized she had loved Jake for quite a while now; it was impossible not to. There was something about him that made her want to get closer; want to experience everything he was going to offer to her. It didn't matter that she had never heard his voice, he held her hand, he kissed her softly, he made her feel wanted – not because he could use her for something, but because he truly wanted her there.

Rose felt Jake's fingers hesitantly squeeze her. She was sure he had noticed the change in her; he was very observant. She looked up to him and smiled, trying to reassure him. There was nothing wrong. Her stomach was in knots and her heart was beating at twice its normal rate but there was absolutely nothing wrong. He was able to return her smile, but barely. She could read concern on his face.

Rose took a deep breath. She was never good with the emotional side of things. She resolved to think about things later. Right now, she could just enjoy being next to Jake.

"So, what's for supper? Is Haley going to be there? I feel as though I haven't seen her in ages!"

Jake led her up the shop stairs. As they entered the apartment, she heard voices – two males arguing.

"What the hell do you want me to do about it? I can't wave a magic wand and fix the entire universe!"

"There must be something we can do; anything at all."

She recognized the second voice as Gramps but she had never heard the first voice before. She wondered what they could possibly be arguing about. It sounded very important and Rose was intrigued.

"Well unless you have a spell that can drag people out of hiding, no one can do anything." The second male's voice dropped so she barely caught his next words. "It's too bad the kid didn't chew her leg off."

"We will have her soon; we will get the information then. Until that day arrives, I believe Jake and his friend have arrived."

Rose became overly involved in removing her coat and pretending like she hadn't heard a thing. Inside, her mind was reeling. Was Jake's grandfather talking about kidnapping?

**Thanks to my beta: Noble6! Just a heads up: there will be no updates until March 13****th**** as I am away in Europe. I don't own anything recognizable.**

**~TLL~**


	34. Stable

Rose put on her usual smile as she followed Jake into the kitchen where his grandfather was sitting calmly at the kitchen table, Fu Dog resting at his master's feet. Her eyes darted around, seeking out the first voice, but there was no one. There was just an old man and his pet.

She tried not to dwell on the obviously private conversation, but it was hard not to. She must have misinterpreted something; there was no way that Lao Shi would be capable of hurting someone. Besides, what would the motive be? Who could he possibly want to kidnap? There was no motive, no one to kidnap. It was a ridiculous notion.

She greeted the old man with her usual exuberance. He raised his whitened eyebrows and welcomed her back.

"Did you already eat?" He asked.

Rose nodded. "We had pizza but neither of us ate very much."

Lao Shi nodded. "I am going to be going out this evening." He reached down, giving the dog a pat on the head. "Fu and I are going to visit some old friends."

"Have fun!" Rose exclaimed.

"There is food in the house if either of you gets hungry." Lao Shi explained. He hopped off the chair and patted his thigh. "Come along now, Fu. We don't want to keep anyone waiting."

Rose paused next to Jake, watching the old man leave. She looked up at Jake once the door had shut firmly. "So," she asked with a shrug, "what now?"

(-.-)

Rose stretched out her long limbs, feeling her joints pop. Jake's comforter rustled underneath of her as she moved. She shifted her head so that she was looking up at Jake, the back of her skull on his bicep. She felt warm; she felt safe. She couldn't remember the last time she was so secure. His arms were locked around her; she could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. His lips lay gently against her forehead. She wished that she could lay there forever, that there was nothing more to the outside world than this – them, lying together.

She pushed herself up onto one elbow, her long blonde hair drifting over her shoulders as she did so. "I should probably get home."

Jake's eyes tightened in disappointment. His hand, which had slipped from her waist at her movement, came back up to her ribs. He put pressure on her side, trying to bring her back down to lay against him. Rose resisted his attempts, though it was hard. She wanted to lie back down in the warm nest of his bed, into the curve of his arms, and not leave.

But there was the Master to think of, and what he would say if she did not come home. He would probe into what she had been doing, and who she had been with. She had managed to keep Jake a secret from him, and she wanted to keep it that way. She could only keep Jake for a short time; she didn't want anything to come between them prematurely.

"I'll be expected," she whispered, but as he tried to bring her against his chest, she could feel her will fading.

Jake's lips quirked up, as though he knew he could keep her there.

But the Master flashed into her vision again. Rose had to strengthen herself against his touch; as addictive as it was, she didn't want the Master to catch her walking into the Huntsquarters in the morning with her hair a mess and no explanation as to where she had been – whenever she did end up going back.

She threw her legs over the side of the bed, her bare feet digging into the floor. She straightened up against the blood rush. She looked over her shoulder, back at Jake, who gave a childish pout at her sudden absence. His hand reached out, capturing hers, and tugging her backwards.

"I can't," Rose said with a chuckle, slipping her hand out of his grip. "I really do have to go."

She padded away from the bed, over to his desk chair, where her sweatshirt had been left hours earlier. She pulled the garment on over her head, smoothing down the hood and the flyaway hairs. She turned to go to the door. Jake had stood up while she was orienting herself, and his unnoticed movement made her jump when she realized his changed position. Rose went to his side, leaning up so she could kiss him on the cheek.

He put a large palm on her hip, holding her to him. She could feel the _don't go_ in the gesture. She kissed him on the lips.

"Goodnight," she bid him, walking to his bedroom door. She had just closed her palm around the cold metal when Jake came up behind her.

He pushed her against the door. Rose felt the wood, sharp against her back. She gasped for breath, disconcerted by Jake's sudden actions. Yet, she liked this side of Jake, with the warm, wanting hands and the breath that cascaded over the tender spot on her neck. She shivered, in spite of herself, and it had nothing to do with the cold.

"I have to go," Rose managed to say, but she wasn't sure why she said it. The last thing she wanted to do – especially right now – was return home to her shared quarters with 88 and 89.

Jake's nose slid along her jawbone, coming up to the lobe of her ear. She could feel his breath and it tickled. She squirmed under the sensation. His head angled so that it was his lips at her ear, and all of a sudden she couldn't draw air into her lungs. She was frozen in place as she felt his body along hers.

He trembled suddenly, his breath quivering, and then she heard it. There was little more than air, then the usual rush of his breathing that she had become accustomed to, but there was something else. A deep, husky undertone – his whispered voice.

_"Rose_," he had breathed.

And she knew she was beyond gone then. His voice, small as it was, was there and it was real. Somehow, his small gesture, her name, had embedded itself in her heart. She smiled, despite the intensity of the moment. She put her palm over his heart, feeling his racing beats against her warm flesh.

Jake pulled away from her a little, looking in her eyes, before dropping a chaste kiss on her forehead. His head fell onto her other side, him leaning on her shoulder as he spoke again.

"_Stay."_

Rose felt her knees give out. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, using him to keep her up. She felt light headed, but with delight; some kind of indescribable pleasure. She felt Jake lift her, his strong arms holding her to him so that she could not move. She looked down on him from her new height advantage, a smile gracing her lovely lips.

"Of course I'll stay." She swears.

A slight yelp leaves her lips as Jake twists around, stumbling back across the floor, and dropping her onto the still warm mattress. Rose stretched her arms out, pulling him down next to her. She saw a warmth in his eyes, a new closeness to her. She gauged his reaction as she rolled so she was straddling his hips. Slowly, starting at the wrists, she traced along his veins, mapping out his scars. She noticed the faint, white lines on his left wrists – scars she knew he caused himself.

Rose swallowed sharply, but brought the wrist to her lips to kiss. She had never been in that place – she suffered too much in battle to bring herself to that point – but her heart broke for him. She couldn't imagine being that alone, that broken, to do that. She wished she had known him then – perhaps then she would have had a chance to catch all of the pieces of him before he felt that isolated. She continued her path along his arm, across faint scars that seemed to bear witness to a multitude of childhood accidents; he must have been an extremely klutzy child. She reached the needles marks in the crook of his elbow. She felt him tense under her touch when she reached that part of his anatomy. She pressed a thumb over the scars.

She, who always had such a ready vocabulary at her disposal, had no words. She wished she could offer him assurance, could tell him how she cared for him, and how she wished she had been there. She wanted to be able to tell him she was proud of him for surviving, for getting through it, for becoming the person he is now. There were no words for her to use; nothing she could give in this moment. She tried to say it without words – something he had become so adept at. She tried to convey her meaning through the brush of her thumb against his skin, the kiss she planted on his cheekbone, and the way she looked at him.

She thought he understood; he always seemed to understand her.

Jake moved so that she was flipped back onto the bed. This time, he was the one to sit on her thighs, his weight going to either side of her legs so that her delicate frame would not be crushed under his heftier one. He tugged her sweatshirt off over her head and deposited it on the floor.

Rose held her breath as he traced along the scars that were visible in her tank top. There were several; yet another haphazard of the life she led. His rough fingers danced across her pale skin, picking out the silver lines. He tenderly traced each one and tried to make her feel as comforted by his touch as he felt from hers. She shivered as he went along her collarbone, along to the crease of her arm against her side. There was a thin pattern of lines – it looked like a net – there. He wondered what she went through to get these scars. She looked as though she had been through a war; fought brutally like any desperate soldier.

He remembered the bruises he had seen on her months ago. The urge to protect her suddenly bubbled to this surface, boiling just under his skin. She was his Rose, his girl to protect. It was maddening to think that someone had already hurt her, long before he was in her life and knew her name.

He moved so that she was in his arms. He could feel her steady heartbeat; his arm rose and fell with every one of her sweet breaths. He nuzzled into the top of her head; her long golden hair filling his vision. He knew that he would not have many moments like this left to spend with her. Soon Jake Long would be gone, replaced by the duties and the legacy of the American Dragon; he who sacrificed himself for the greater good.

He could pretend this is why he spoke to her, because he knew that if he didn't give it his all right now, he might not get this chance to do anything again. He knew that wasn't it. He had said her name; he had asked her to stay, because it was suddenly unimaginable that she be anywhere else. It was suddenly excruciating to think of her lying in a different bed, eyes falling upon things he was not privy to. He squeezed her against him, thinking that if he held on tight enough, morning would never come; real life would never have to begin.

Real life where he was not a boy but a dragon. Real life where he was not free to hold her as his heart was not his dictate, but owned by an entire community of magical beings who needed him far more than she ever would.

He closed his eyes and wished real life would never descend upon them.

And he thought of what he had said to her._ Rose. Stay._

A poor substitute for the 'I love you' still clinging, unspoken, to his lips.

**I don't own anything recognizable. Thanks to my lovely beta: Noble6.**

**I realized I put the wrong date for my return on the last chapter and I apologize sincerely for it and I hope you love the update!**

**~TLL~**


	35. Unbroken

"Are you prepared?" The Oracle Twins asked.

Lao Shi gave a crisp nod. With their help he had gone over the basement – soon to be a prison – to make sure there were no possible escape routes. Everything was done perfectly. The Oracle Twins decreed the area perfect; they could not foresee the Huntsgirl or her two companions escaping during their stay.

"I am prepared," Lao Shi said aloud, not only to assure the Twins and Fu, but to assure himself. His old heart, however, was pounding in his chest. Taking any member of the Huntsclan was suicide. Taking the Huntsgirl was a guaranteed witch hunt, at the very least. Yet, it was something that needed to be done, and he must take the risk. He was fairly confident nothing would go wrong, and if something were going to happen, anything at all, the Oracle Twins would be able to warn him in sufficient time.

"What is the plan once you have her?" One of the twins inquired.

"We weaken her; no food, little water. And though I doubt we can convince her, try to get her to give up details on the Clan. I would be tempted to force it from her, but removing her from her prison," Lao Shi gestured to the electrical, cylindrical tube that would house the ferocious girl, "poses too big of a risk. We know she's crafty. She would probably find a way to escape."

"It may be easier to break her companions," Fu added. "We know nothing of them, except that they seem young. And they are definitely less experienced than she. Sheer terror alone may be enough to get to them."

"Let us hope. Any information at all would be beneficial."

"And then?" The other twin prompted. "What will happen the day of the fight?"

Lao Shi blinked in surprise. "She will be easy to defeat."

"They have more gems," the twins reminded him in tandem.

"We'll get the gems," Lao Shi said grimly. "I don't know how we'll manage it but we will."

"Good luck," the twins trilled mockingly.

Lao Shi clasped his hands together and hoped that luck was, indeed, on their side.

"You really should be leaving," one of the twins said suddenly.

"Yes," the other agreed, urgency much clearer in her voice. "Leave, now."

"For where?" Lao Shi demanded.

The twins rattled off an address. It was a seedy back alley, one that Lao Shi knew the whereabouts of, but not the nuances of. He had never walked down it himself but he would be able to navigate it fairly well; of that, he was certain. He thanked the Oracle Twins and ran for the stairs.

"WAIT!" They cried out, effectively freezing Lao Shi midstride.

"Yes?" He breathed, adrenaline pumping through his veins; he wanted, needed, to go now. He would never forgive himself if he missed this chance.

"Take Jake." They hissed. "Don't doubt us. The boy will transform and go."

Lao Shi thundered up the stairs. He transformed once in the freedom of his shop, taking his scaly body up to the apartment.

"Jake!" He bellowed, knowing the teenager was in his room. He heard the agonizingly slow footsteps of the boy approaching. Lao Shi did not have the time. He barked orders to Jake. "Transform. Now. It is time to retrieve her."

He saw Jake at the entrance to the hallway. The younger man looked slightly shocked but there was a strong reserve in Jake's eyes too. In a flash, the human child was gone, replaced by the dragon Lao Shi felt as though he had not seen for a lifetime, perhaps longer. Jake tensed his muscles, shaking his wings. Lao Shi looked away from the fearsome image of the young fighter, instead he threw the window open, tossing his dragon body into the open air after taking a quick moment to snatch Fu between his claws, the little dog being careful to keep the magical nets he was carrying away from either of the dragons.

He did not turn around to see if Jake was behind him. He heard the flapping of wings, much stronger than his aged ones. He poured as much speed as he could into reaching his destination. Even so, Jake kept pace with him easily.

"Do not be afraid to hurt them." Lao Shi reminded Jake as they approached the final location. "We need to bring in all three of them, by any means necessary."

Jake indicates his understanding by releasing a tiny burst of flame. Lao Shi hoped his grandson was ready – three Clan members would not go down without a fight. He had trained Jake well, but he didn't know how long it had been since his grandson had been locked in an actual battle; a fight for his life. Lao Shi knew that's exactly what this would be – a fight for their lives. Even without the threat of the two minor Clan members, the Huntsgirl was more than enough for the two of them.

Lao Shi could only hope that she was caught off guard; that he and Jake took her completely by surprise. He doubted that it would happen. Theron has trained that girl far too well. Lao Shi angled for a dive, the alleyway just below them.

(-.-)

Rose slunk along the side of a grimy building. 88 and 89 tramped behind her, shivering in their spring suits.

"It's still winter," she hissed, tiring of the sound of chattering teeth.

"S-sorry," 89 stuttered.

"We didn't realize."

"I told you to dress warmly," Rose snapped, double checking the device in her hand. Though she knew there was a more direct route to the flashing bulb that indicated the final gem, she didn't want to take it. She didn't want to cut through the heart of the city (discretion was always a priority, and even a place as odd as New York City, the police might think that three masked people dressed exactly the same were up to something unsavory) and she didn't want to arrive at the dragons' front door – assuming that's where the gem was. She would rather approach it from an angle, have a moment to get her bearings, rather than run head first into a confrontation.

"Brr," Kyle complained as Rose paused, stamping his feet to keep warm.

Rose was about to chastise him for his noise – though the area seemed to be abandoned, she didn't want any heads to come poking out of windows – she realized there was something off about the sound.

"Freeze," she ordered.

"What do you think we've been doing?" Kyle shot back.

Rose whipped her head around, glaring at him so effectively that he immediately became a statue in response. Rose held her own breath, waiting for the sound to come again. And _there_. It came again like a wave, a rhythmic beating noise that did sound, very much, like the ocean crashing on the unsuspecting sand. Rose frowned, trying to place the growing sound.

"Dragons!" She cried, tucking the device into her belt and pulling out her staff. It gleamed wickedly in her hands, enjoying the malicious intent it had been crafted for. She turned to face Kyle and Nicholas. "Two dragons, fast approaching. American and Chinese. Wound but do not kill the American Dragon; feel free to kill the Chinese one if you get the opportunity."

She saw Nicholas swallow visibly. "But . . . we don't have any experience."

"Learn on your feet," she growled harshly. She reached into her belt, pulling out two daggers – nothing fancy, but better than fists when against dragons. She handed one to each of them and drew in a deep breath. She prayed she had done enough training with the two of them that they were at least competent in a battle versus being a distraction.

She motioned for them to duck for cover. Somehow the dragons knew where they were. Or at least, assumed they did. Rose didn't want to run from them but she wasn't going to stand out in the open and wait for them to swoop down. Nicholas and Kyle ducked behind nearby trash bags. Rose tucked herself under an abandoned canopy to an unrecognizable store front. She remained coiled in place as the wing noise became deafening. She felt pressure on her ears as the two beasts landed.

From her position she could see their clawed feet touch the dirty pavement. She saw a flash of blue as the Chinese dragon came closer to her hiding spot. She assumed the American dragon was heading toward Kyle and Nicholas. She prayed they didn't panic; didn't break cover until they were either discovered or until she gave a signal. She saw a white flash of mane as the Chinese dragon stepped under the canopy. He would either look up in a minute, catching her, or the American dragon would, undoubtedly, discover 88 and 89 and the Chinese dragon would go assist him. Rose couldn't take the chance that both dragons would corner Nicholas and Kyle. That would not end well for the two younger Clan members.

She gripped her staff tighter, raising it above her head and dropping onto the long neck of the Chinese Dragon. She raised her staff, intending to drive it into the beast's sensitive ear, killing him once and for all. The dragon, however, feeling her weight began to squirm. She gripped around his ribs with her thighs, trying not to go flying and potentially injure herself. It was hard to hold onto dragon scale, and she knew that she was going to go flying in a minute. She waited until he pivoted one way before throwing herself from his body. She hit the ground at the perfect angle, easily jumping back into a standing position. She had him cornered against the store front.

Unfortunately, Rose also had her back to the American dragon. She hoped that 88 and 89 were effectively distracting him as she could not check over her shoulder. The Chinese dragon, despite his obvious age, was proving to be enough of a challenge. She crouched, twirling her staff so that the end, bright and crackling with deadly electricity, was pointing in his face. The dragon snarled, showing off a mouth full of deadly teeth. Rose lunged, slicing a neat line across the dragon's cheek. Bright red blood began pouring out of the wound, dripping against the pavement. She danced backward, angling herself so that she could clearly see both dragons.

The red dragon spun at the sound of the other's pained cry. The American dragon's dark eyes hardened. He flicked his tail threateningly against the pavement, the force of which made the ground tremble under Rose's feet. Rose echoed his intimidating position, trying to keep one eye on the Chinese dragon, who was still fit to fight. She cast an eye about for her two companions but couldn't spot them. Outrage bubbled in her chest – had the two younglings ran from the battle? Had they left her to confront the two deadly creatures alone?

If they had, she was going to have their heads.

Yet, the alternative was that they were already out for the count. Between the two options, Rose would rather have them cowering, yet safe. She could train them into submission and bravery when the three of them returned to the Huntsquarters. After a good lecture, of course. A lecture that would involve Andrew.

She twirled the staff in a circle, but took a step backward as she did so. The two dragons were each on opposite sides of her. If she kept walking backwards, perhaps they would eventually come side by side, meaning she could take them out with a single blow. And even if they did not, then she would be at the mouth of the alley and be able to duck out. Though she didn't want to run from a fight – especially not one involving the American dragon – she knew that her first priority was to make sure she was safe to fight him later, in the battle that would mean the most.

However, the dragons both stopped. Rose didn't pause to think of what this would mean. She prepared to turn her back to the both of them and flee, running for the Huntsquarters. Yet, as she turned slightly, she saw them – 88 and 89. They had not fled, had not left her to fight on her own. They were flat on the ground, trapped under heavy nets, crackling with something dark, something magical.

Rose's eyes widened with the knowledge that the dragons were not alone and that she had fatally miscalculated.

And then she collapsed under the weight of her own net.

**Thanks to my beta: Noble6. I don't own anything recognizable.**

**~TLL~**


	36. Imperishable

Rose stirred slowly. Her mind felt foggy. Her muscles felt like she'd been put through a meat grinder, at least twice. As the mist began to clear from her mind, she became more aware of the cold concrete floor beneath her. It was a welcome respite from the throbbing her body was experiencing; the chill felt nice. As she let her head be comforted by the temperature of the concrete it also began to clear. The situation that had brought her body to feeling like this, had brought her to this concrete floor, began to trickle back into her mind.

_Dragons._

_ 88._

_ 89._

She sat up in a hurry, unwilling body tensing to fight. The movement brought black spots to her vision. As she blinked away the spots her adrenaline gave way to confusion. She was definitely in a prison of some sort, but of what sort, she couldn't be sure. She was in a tube – that was the only way to describe it. A blue, transparent, tube. She had been deposited in the center of it and it seemed to be about six feet in width. She moved to the very edge of the tube and reached out to touch the strange material her cage was made out of.

"I wouldn't do that," a harsh, accented, voice warned.

Rose, to her credit, didn't jump in surprise. Instead she slid smoothly away from the wall, coming onto her aching feet as she did so. She slowly turned to face the dragon that had spoken, taking in the surroundings beyond the tube as she did so. There wasn't much to observe. Four empty walls. There were steps ahead to the left, though she couldn't see up them, they curve to the side, hiding the door from view. Behind her were 88 and 89 in their own tubes, though she could see that they were still out cold. She felt a flash of worry for them. Yet, she was also grateful to note that they still had their masks on.

She looked at the blue Chinese Dragon who was perched stiffly near the steps. He had his dark eyes trained on her and Rose felt a little uncomfortable under his unyielding gaze. She wasn't sure whether or not her discomfort came from being his captive or if it stemmed from her disappointment at herself for becoming his captive.

"And why not?" Rose asked, a challenge in her tone.

"It's magic," the old dragon explained. "You'll be electrocuted. If you hold on for too long you'll end up dead." She swore he smirked. "And we wouldn't want that, would we?"

"No, of course not." Rose rolled her eyes, playing along with his sarcastic side. "So why not let us go?"

"You know why." The Chinese Dragon responded.

She swallowed as he alluded to the prophecy. She couldn't guess at the intricacies of his plan – if he even had any; was there anything beyond keeping her in captivity? – but she knew that it couldn't end well for her. Rose pushed away her weaker feelings and struck a cockier pose. Even with the complication of being here, she wouldn't lose. Master would, no doubt, find her soon and then they could be on their merry way, destroying the dragons and what not.

"So let my companions go." Rose bartered, without much hope of it actually working. "They have no purpose here."

The Chinese dragon ignored her words. "Now, Huntsgirl, I have a few questions for you."

Rose met his eyes defiantly. She didn't like the sound of that – her apprehension only grew as the American dragon slithered down the stairs – but she wasn't going to let the dragons see that.

(-.-)

Andrew paced the length of the Huntsgirl's quarters again. She was supposed to have been back already. A bad feeling grew in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't imagine her disappearing like this, especially not with 88 and 89 with her. He liked the two younger Clan members well enough but they wouldn't be good protection if it came down to a battle. He knew the Huntsgirl could take care of herself but no one was infallible. Something could have happened to her, especially now that the prophecy time was getting down to the wire.

He had been anxious ever since he returned to the Huntsquarters to find that Rose wasn't where she had said she'd be – her room at 3 o'clock. Andrew had waited, knowing that she was a busy and important woman. Her being ten minutes later wouldn't be the end of the universe.

Yet, somehow, ten minutes late had turned into fifteen, then thirty. Now, an hour later, Andrew knew something had happened; something had gone terribly wrong. He took a deep, shaking breath. Through the Clan he had been trained to think, to assess, before acting. He knew what his first step was – to check the computers. There were trackers in some of the Huntsgirl's devices, ones whose locations could easily be brought up. He sat down at the Huntsgirl's computer, logging onto his account and accessing her tracker's location. As he waited for the program to locate her he thought of how amazing it was that he was able to access the Huntsgirl's location; the second in command when it came to the Clan, soon to be the first.

Andrew never thought he would be in such an important position.

The computer let out a beep, signifying that it had finished its search. Andrew jumped at the unexpected sound before focusing on the monitor. Nothing; there was absolutely nothing for him to look at. Someone had found her trackers and had disabled or destroyed them. He felt his organs sink through the floor as reality set in. Despite mentally preparing for the worst (or so he thought) he had still been in denial about the whole thing, he truly had seen the Huntsgirl as infallible.

Andrew bolted from her quarters. He booked it up the nearest stairs up to the highest floor of the Huntsquarters. He arrived, panting, looking at a door he had never seen before; the door to the Huntsmaster's chambers. He had never had a need to meet privately with the Huntsmaster before, despite his special assignment. Now, he pushed away his fear of the intimidating man. Though the Huntsmaster had yet to know it, everything was, at once, going wrong.

He knocked on the door.

"What?" The Huntsmaster boomed.

"I need to speak with you . . . Sir." Andrew tacked on the last bit at the last moment. Through Rose's familiarity with the man he had almost dropped all formality. It was fine when he was in private with the Huntsgirl, 88, and 89 but it was not all right when speaking with the Master himself – he deserved the utmost respect from Andrew.

"Who are you?" Huntsmaster barked.

"Huntsboy 22." Andrew replied promptly with his number.

"Leave."

Andrew took a deep breath. He couldn't walk away. Summoning his courage, Andrew threw the door open and marched into the Huntsmaster's elaborate office. The large man looked up, annoyed at the subordinate who had refused to leave. He opened his mouth to voice his irritation but the thin child in front of him began to speak.

"It's the Huntsgirl. I believe she's been captured."

(-.-)

A high pitched noise invaded Kyle's heavy sleep. A faint vein of irritation came to him; alarm clocks. How petty, how annoying. He wished the world would do away with early mornings. He went to stretch out, finding that he couldn't do it. His body resisted any movement, yelping in pain at the smallest of twitches. With no small amount of effort, Kyle forced his eyes open taking in the dingy surroundings. As he focused on the bright red of a dragon tail, he remembered the fight. He recalled easily the American dragon crowding him and Nicholas – their daggers had drawn blood but not enough to hinder the creature. He'd had them pinned against the wall of the building and that was it.

The high noise that Kyle had found so grating moments before sounded again. Yet, this time, it was not slowed by the heavy blanket over his head, shielding his ears. Now he heard the sound in full force for what it was – a pained, feminine, scream. Feeling panicked at the noise – there was, after all, only one person in their party who could make such a sound – Kyle flung his head to the left. His cheek collided painfully with the hard floor but it was nothing compared to the pain welling his heart at the sight that greeted him.

And it was nothing compared to the pain that the Huntsgirl was feeling at the moment.

She was in a tube prison, almost the same as Kyle's. Except where his, and Nicholas', were a light green, hers was blue. He didn't know what the colours signified and at the moment, didn't care. Somehow the dragons had managed to get her cage to contract. She was frozen in place as the walls of the tube came in, colliding with her skin. She trembled violently at the contact, another anguished scream leaving her lips. The dragon gave a whisper and the walls eased away from her.

"Where is the Huntsquarters? Where are the gems? How much do you know?"

Rose, who had dropped to the ground without the painful support of the walls, lifted her head to stare at the hard-faced beast. How dare he think she would betray her Clan; her _family_? How dare he think her weak to succumb to his electrical shocks, no matter how much they hurt? She was loyal to them – she would die before she told this scum anything about her world. She would give her life before she gave him information. No words could properly define her defiance, her hatred of the creatures. So she spit at him. To her surprise the fluid flew through the tube walls and hit the creature in the face.

Disgusted he used a claw to wipe away her saliva. "I see," he said in a measured tone. "I was hoping you would be a bit more agreeable."

Rose resisted the urge to spit at him again.

"I think I'll leave you and your companions alone for a while to think."

(-.-)

The Huntsmaster brought his massive, meaty, fist down upon his wooden desk. He had no other way to dispel the frustration, the utter anger, coursing through him at the moment. He thought he had trained her better. He had thought that she could never succumb to the beasts like so many others had. But it was, of course, human error. Both on his part and hers. The Huntsmaster, however, was assured that she was still a class above the rest of his warriors; she was still smarter, still deadlier. She could think her way out of the situation with the dragons but not, he feared, in time.

He needed to find her, and he needed to find her _now_. He would not eat, would not sleep, and would not calm until she was back under his roof. The time of the prophecy was arising, faster than he could even chart. It would not do to have his Huntsgirl, his little fighter, trapped in some unknown nest, wasting away to nothing while the fucking dragon trained, became stronger.

"Was she alone?" The Huntsmaster asked the scrawny Huntsboy.

"No," 22 answered. "88 and 89 were accompanying her."

"Lot of good that'll do," Huntsmaster growled. Those two were not at the level they should be; not for their ages and not for working with the Huntsgirl. He looked down at 22 again, regarding him. "Do you know where she was going?"

The boy shook his head. "If I had any ideas I would have gone looking for her; I wouldn't have come to you unless I was certain there was no other way to find her."

"Get to the labs – see if any of our genius' have engineered anything for her in the past bit." The Huntsmaster passed Andrew a card. "All access pass. I'm making you my go-to on this, seeing as you are the only one left in the Huntsquarters that was close to her."

22 jerked his head in a nod. "Understood," then he scampered out the door and down to the labs as Huntsmaster had asked.

Theron immediately put a call into his Captain, telling him to ready the army. They were going on a city-wide, perhaps country-wide, manhunt. No one in his facility would rest until the Huntsgirl was safe. He didn't care what his people had to do to find her, who had to suffer through the course of the mission. If war broke out between the Clan and the magical creatures during the course of his hunt, so be it.

He needed her back.

**I don't own anything recognizable. Thank you to my fantastic beta; Noble6. I apologize for the delay.**

**~TLL~**


	37. Archaic

"At least we have them," Fu said in consolation to Lao Shi's anger.

"Yes but we still have no answers," the old man replied. "It would be so much easier if I had been able to get their masks off; they view faces as vulnerability. It would have been so much easier to control them."

Fu could only shrug, kneading his claws into the soft fabric of the couch. "I don't know why we couldn't get them off. The Huntsclan doesn't use magic to accomplish things. I suppose there could be some kind of technology at play. If identity truly is as sacred to them as we believe the masks could be designed that only a Clan member can remove them. It's not outside the realm of possibility."

Lao Shi shook his head. "I guess it doesn't matter now. We have what we need; the Huntsgirl in captivity."

"We just need to make sure she doesn't get out," Lao Shi said heavily.

"We've done all we can," Fu quickly assured him.

"I know. Yet, somehow, I still think we have managed to underestimate them." Lao Shi shook his head. "I don't know many people who could with stand the kind of torture we just put her through and yet, she didn't even consider telling us to make it end."

"She won't," the Oracle Twins chorused. They had been standing silently in the doorway, watching the conversation play out with knowing eyes.

"Will her companions?" Lao Shi inquired.

One shrugged. "They _are_ of the Clan. You can't underestimate them." She echoed his words from earlier.

"No," he said with a heavy sigh. "I just wish I knew what would make her talk."

Jake found himself wishing he knew what would make the Huntsgirl speak. It wasn't out of any desire to have the upper hand; to know without a doubt that he would win the upcoming battle. It was because he didn't want to see that tube contracting again, pain coursing through her body. The inhuman scream she had released again and again still beat upon his ears. He wanted her to speak so that he didn't have to hear her scream.

"We know what will make her talk," One of the Twins said casually. The other fidgeted at the announcement.

"Really?" Lao Shi's eyes lit, burning brightly with a dark hunger. "What is it? Tell me?"

The Twins looked at one another. They communicated silently, staring deeply into one another's eyes. As one, they turned back to Lao Shi and shook their heads. "We cannot."

"_What_?" Lao Shi shrieked, losing his temper. "You say you are here to help us but the most important thing – the _most_ important thing – you refuse to share! How dare you do this?! How could you do this to me?!"

Their eyes, usually smooth and emotionless, suddenly turned to ice. "How dare we?" They roared, making Lao Shi, Fu, and Jake cower away from their force. "How _dare_ we? We are here to help you but we are not here to be your slaves! We have gone above and beyond our duty to you.

"Do not forget that we know more than you. Our knowledge of the universe and your insignificant life for succeeds yours. So here is what you need to know, Lao Shi. She will never speak to you. The Huntsclan is already waging war on your unsuspecting city. And we are through."

"Through?" Lao Shi floundered as the Twins linked arms. Like smoke they drifted across the floor toward the front door. "No! You can't leave; we need the two of you too much!"

While one stayed by the door, watching Lao Shi with hostility, the other broke apart, coming back to the trio.

"You do not need us," she said directly to Gramps. Without pause, she turned on her heel and pinned Jake with her eyes. His heart began to hammer in his chest as she pressed her palm, harsh as stone, against his cheek. She whispered, low enough that only he could hear, "You need us. When you are truly in your time of need, we shall return. I am sorry for all that must happen to you."

Jake felt himself struck with the need to grab her hand, to make the Twins stay. Though he couldn't force the words through his lips, though he couldn't put this feeling into words, he needed to know what she was talking about. He needed to know his future. He was sick and tired of not wanting to ask the questions and of being afraid of the answers. From now on, he needed to take control of where he was going with his life – what he had left of it – and he needed to be in the loop that no one had told him existed.

He just didn't know where to start with it.

The Twin, with her intuition, sensed Jake's questions; sensed his need to know. She knelt in front of him, making him look into her translucent eyes. "You are so strong, for one so young. Do not release that strength, Dragon. Remember who you are and remember that you are a survivor." She placed her hand flat over his heart, chilling him to the bone. "Remember that love can transcend _everything._"

And then the Twins were gone.

And Jake still had more questions than answers.

(-.-)

"Are you all right?" Nicholas whispered.

Rose picked herself slowly up off of the concrete floor. She managed to fold herself into a sitting position but didn't dare try standing; she would have to be able to feel her legs for that to be a safe endeavor. She drew in a deep breath, feeling her body rattle with every movement.

"Fine," she lied easily. "How are the two of you feeling?"

"Probably better than you," Kyle snapped bluntly.

"Mmm," Rose said noncommittally.

"What do we do now?" Nicholas pushed, trying not to let his fear show through his voice.

Rose pursed her lips. She inched closer to the side of the cylinder tube, though the last thing she wanted to do was touch it again. Yet, she had a theory. And she might as well test it out before she lost her courage. Wincing in anticipation, she threw her arm against the side of her tube. She waited for the pain but it never came. She opened her eyes wide, looking at her arm on the other side of the tube. Crawling, she completely left her prison.

She turned to face Nicholas and Kyle who were staring at her, slack-jawed.

Without a pause, Rose leapt back into her cage. If her two subordinates had looked confused before, it was nothing compared to their facial expressions now.

"You were just out!" Kyle shouted.

Rose quickly gestured for him to lower his voice. "I know," she hissed, "but I can't leave."

"Why not?" Nicholas asked, just as baffled as his friend.

"Because there is a lot more I can learn from this place before I leave; because I don't know the layout of the building and could just as easily get captured again; because I can't leave the two of you." She crossed her arms. "Pick a reason but I can't leave yet."

"Well I wanna go." Kyle crossed his arms. "Show me how you did that."

"I thought that I would be resistant to the feel since I'd been exposed to so much of it; you know, built up a resistance." Rose shrugged. "It worked, but I don't know if that's because I was just exposed to so much of it at once and if that ability will go away or if I can now go back and forth as I please. I want the two of you to try building up a resistance to it; nothing big. Be _super_ careful when touching it. I know that it will hurt at first but if it offers you the ability to get out, I want you to take the pain. Okay?"

88 and 89 nodded mutely. The ends would justify the means. They knew very well that the dragons didn't need them for anything. They had the Huntsgirl; she was all that was necessary to any plan they might have. If they had the Huntsgirl to lord over the Clan, they would not need two low level members. And they had no part in the upcoming prophecy. They were utterly useless to the dragons. The sooner they got out of the nest, the better it would be for them.

Taking a deep breath, Nicholas looked over to Kyle. His friend nodded and as one they pressed the tips of the fingers to the sides of their cages. It took all they could not to scream; not to alert the dragons to what they were doing.

(-.-)

"Why hasn't she contacted me yet?" Theron grumbled under his breath. He was standing in his office, overlooking the New York City skyline. She was out there, somewhere, and she couldn't contact him. She couldn't reach him.

The thought that someone was keeping his Huntsgirl captive – his prodigy, his girl, the one his hopes and dreams were pinned on – maddened him to the point of no return. He drew his eyes once again over the city, picking out details that no one else would have. He saw his robed Clan, darting between buildings and over roofs. He saw them, his finely tuned warriors, fighting to find the Huntsgirl. He could almost see the interrogations rising into the clouds; see the blood run the streets; see the body count rise as the Clan rushed to find their lost member.

He felt a growl rise in the back of his throat; though he hadn't been without her long, he already felt her absence.

(-.-)

It was the middle of the night and Jake couldn't sleep. He was tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable in his bed. He sat up, rubbing at his eyes. He didn't know what was causing this feeling. Perhaps it was the last words of the Oracle Twins – still haunting his exhausted mind. Perhaps it was knowing that the Huntsgirl was in his basement; the prophecy was quickly becoming more and more of a reality and facing the prophecy was hard enough when it was far away. It was much too close now.

He rolled over again, remembering a night not too long ago when Rose had been by his side all throughout the night. He remembered the feeling of waking up to her still sleeping face – soft, dreamy, innocent, captivating. The thought of her calmed his mind. He wondered where she was and what she was doing right now; was she thinking of him? Could he possibly be on her mind as much as she was on his?

He called to mind the feeling of her body, resting between his arms and her head against his chest. He wished that she were here now, so that he could wrap his rough fingers through her soft hair and feel her breath against his jawline. He wished she were here so he could put his lips to her ear and whisper all of the things that he had not been able to tell her that night. He wanted to tell her all that lay in his heart.

He wanted to tell her all of the secrets of him. He wanted her to know who he truly was – he knew that she would believe him; that she would care for him anyway. He wanted to tell her that he loved her, and that he was sorry for doing so. He knew that they couldn't last; his life was going to end terribly soon. Yet, he didn't want to just leave her. He wanted her to have the whole and total truth to lay next to when she missed him (he knew that she would miss him, especially years from now in the dark of night when he had been gone so long she would be insane to miss him but he would creep up on her; a forgotten memory alive again). He wanted Rose to know the truth about him but he didn't know how he could possibly tell her.

**I don't own anything recognizable. Thanks to my lovely beta: Noble6.**

**~TLL~**


	38. Indestructible

"It's war," Fu said in a shaking voice.

Lao Shi drew in a weary breath, staring down at his hands. _War_. Of course it would come down to this. He couldn't have expected Theron to take the kidnapping of his prized possession lying down. Still, it was a horrible thing innocent magical creatures were being slaughtered by the hundreds as the Huntsclan began their brutal search. He tore his gaze away from his fingers to look out the window at the New York skyline. It was beautiful now, with the first rays of dawn caressing the tops of buildings. Yet, even as the first citizens began to stir, magical citizens were dying.

Masked warriors were flooding the streets with orders to murder. He knew that they would stop at nothing – Theron would stop at nothing. He looked away from the window, feeling every lost soul weigh on his conscience. He had stolen the Huntsgirl so that he would, in the long run, prevent death. Everything he had done was to prevent the worst; he had done it so that his world may soon live in harmony without the threat of the Clan. Yet, what about the short term? Did the lives of thousands, _millions_, in the future mean more than the lives that were being lost right now?

"The Dragon Council isn't happy," Fu added. "They say that you overstepped your authority. They say that taking the Huntsgirl was completely out of line."

Lao Shi ignored Fu's words. He could care less about the Dragon Council. They weren't in New York fighting this with him. They weren't interested in the prophecy and what it foretold – they wouldn't accept the ancient words as the truth. Though the Huntsclan was a global problem they weren't the ones with the Huntsmaster in their backyard. They weren't the ones fighting to protect a city when the city's sworn protector had given up on it.

He was old and he was tired. He was ready for the nightmare of the prophecy, the nightmare of being a magical protector, to be over. He had lived this brutal life for far too long. Yet, it was far from over. There were battles being watched, even as he sat idly at his kitchen table. But he took comfort in the knowledge that with every hour that passed, every sun that set, the end came closer. The thought of the end tore at his aged heart but he truly believed that sacrifice now, for the greater good, was worth it. Once the final gem, the Dragon Gem, was created life would get easier for all. Though evil would always exist (good could not continue on without its counterpart) it would not be as strong.

Perhaps it should trouble him; his willingness to sacrifice. But it did not bother him in the least. Many other mortal men had given up far more for far less.

"Out of line or not it was the right decision," Lao Shi finally responded to Fu Dog's earlier words. "And we have to live with it now."

"What are we going to do about the dying?"

"We will help the fight back as much as we can. The prophecy will come to pass in a few days' time. Then it will all end." His eyes darkened. "For better or worse."

Fu felt a chill wind down his spine at his master's harshly spoken words. He didn't want to think about the difference a few days could make, especially if the Huntsclan continued their bloodthirsty rampage at their current rate.

"Let us gather weapons," Lao Shi suggested, rising from the table and headed down to the shop. "We will take them to several creatures; help out in that way for the day. Our captives are not going anywhere. By evening, the Huntsgirl should be recovered enough to undergo some more," he fished for a word, "_questioning._"

"Are we leaving Jake here?" Fu asked, hoping the answer was 'yes'. For Jake to emerge in front of the Huntsclan now would certainly spell certain death; as it was, Lao Shi was going to have to be overly cautious with his public appearance.

Lao Shi gave a crisp nod. "Why do you think the captives are certainly not going anywhere?"

Fu nodded his agreement, quietly padding down the stairs in Lao Shi's wake.

(-.-)

"No one has any information?" The Huntsmaster growled. He couldn't contain his rage, bringing his impressive fist down upon the desk in front of him. A crack appeared in the center of the desk, making the boy – the bearer of bad news – swallow nervously.

"No one has seen either of the dragons in days." Andrew revealed softly, hoping that a gentle tone might not inflame the master as badly.

"They haven't come out to help their magical community?" The Huntsmaster inquired, confused. He had been waging attack for hours. If the dragons were going to come to aide their precious magical creatures, shouldn't have they come already?

His blood boiled as he realized why no one was coming; they were torturing his Huntsgirl. They were keeping such a close eye on her that they couldn't be bothered with the loss of life they were causing. He almost snorted in disbelief, except that the facts did not surprise him. Dragons were notoriously selfish. It didn't matter if the streets were running thick with innocent blood – unknowing humans and barely aware magical creatures – so long as the dragons won in the end. The Chinese Dragon, especially, was of this single mindset. Theron had been dealing with that meddlesome beast for more decades than he would ever care to count; neither of them had ever been able to get the upper hand on the other.

Until now.

Theron, lost in thought, smiled a wicked smile to himself. For once, the Chinese Dragon would fall; could not match or best him. Despite the obvious skill and prowess of the young American Dragon, it could not compete with his protégée, his little Huntsgirl. He had made her perfectly – too perfectly, he acknowledged at times when he thought of how she would only become more dangerous with age; how he knew secrets about her she may never fully understand. But it didn't matter how the Huntsgirl came to be; it only mattered that she _was_.

"Sir?" Andrew prompted as the Huntsmaster's eyes began to glaze over with an unhealthy lust.

"Find her." The Huntsmaster barked, "Find her before I have to go out there and do your damned job for you."

Andrew squeaked and fled the man's presence.

(-.-)

Jake transformed and slithered down the basement stairs. His claws clicked loudly on the wooden steps, alerting the three silent Huntsclan members to his impending arrival. When he curled up at the bottom of the steps the Huntsgirl was on her feet, glaring at him, body braced for attack. The two boys, the younger members, were seated cross-legged in the middle of their prison, actively avoiding looking at him. Jake didn't care about how they were looking at him – not only were they absolutely no threat to him, but he was only here for her.

He had never had the chance to take a good look at his adversary before. Usually he only saw clips of her: long blonde braid flying; slender foot lashing out in a kick; wide, blue warrior's eyes peeking out from under a mask. He knew she was equally, if not more, dangerous than he was but, looking at her in her prison, he was surprised by how little she looked in it. She looked like a slim girl. From the small distance between him and her, he could see the lack of wrinkles around her eyes and mouth; there were no signs of age. She looked like a very young girl.

The thought disturbed him. The Huntsgirl had always, in his mind, been a seasoned warrior. Yet, thinking past the fog the drugs had cast over his memories to the summer he had spent fighting her, she had been very immature then; she had matched every innuendo he had thrown at her with an equally childish one. He didn't know when his mind had evolved her into an aged woman with decades of experience. It was ridiculous, really, for him to think that she needed to be old to have experience; he was living proof that the young could be dangerous, weary soldiers as much as the old could be.

Jake crept closer to her tube. She shifted onto the balls of her feet, waking up muscles that had fallen asleep during her stationary period. Her eyes shifted, keeping close tabs on him. Jake wished that she didn't appear to be so much of a brick wall; he wished that there was some give to the defensiveness in her eyes. He wished she wouldn't be so steadfast about keeping her secrets. It would make every one's lives so much easier if she would just talk. But he knew she wouldn't. He knew she would rather die than open her mouth and give them anything they wanted; she would rather die than open her mouth and feed them lies.

He felt an anger begin in the pit of his stomach. How dare she be so strong (especially when he had caved and broken; what made her so much better?), even in the face of danger? What gave her the right to look down upon him, gaze sliding down her upturned nose? She looked at him and _knew_ that she was so much better. And Jake was enraged because she was right; she may be callous and cruel, but he was worth so much less than her.

Frustrated, he growled. Her icy eyes flared – not from fear that would be much too easy – with an adolescent taunt that she refused to release. The look in her eye made his fury climb into his heart, into his brain. He knew that the tube would let him pass through easily – a precaution Fu had enchanted into them; it would not harm dragon flesh – so he leapt. He passed easily through the coloured wall.

The Huntsgirl stepped back, surprise fluttering through her gesture. She had obviously not expected him to be able to invade her meager personal space. Jake heard thumps as the two boys hurtled to their feet, and he kept an ear out for them, but he wasn't concerned by any movement they might make. The Huntsgirl rolled her shoulders, as though stretching out her muscles before a fight. She had gotten over his intrusion and was now preparing for his attack.

Jake was not concerned with fighting her. He reached out a swift hand, claws wrapping around her slim, hidden, neck. He picked her up easily, before throwing her down on her back to the floor. His claws remained locked around her neck, even as she struggled to pry them away. He looked down at her furious face and didn't blink. He tried to communicate with his grip all that he was thinking – his intense hatred for her, his sorrow that she had to die (because any life was a waste), and that she should speak, try to make amends for the horrors she had committed in life before her death.

The Huntsgirl was not interested in whatever he was trying to communicate. With a strategic maneuver with her left leg, she kicked him in his ear. It did not hit its proper mark and kill him, but it was close enough to the fatal spot to sting. Jake roared and involuntarily loosened his grip enough for her to slip out.

Rose retreated as far away from the Dragon as she could without revealing her secret escape route. She could still feel his angry paw around her neck and wondered if the youngling had finally snapped. She looked at the taunt creature, his large eyes waiting for her next movement.

Her next movement was to try to relieve the pressure on her neck. Her identity didn't matter in this place and she felt overly claustrophobic with her mask on. Taking a gulp of air to try to melt away the pressure on her wind pipe, Rose reached up a hand and tugged her mask off.

**Thanks to my wonderful beta; Noble6. I don't own anything recognizable.**

**~TLL~**


	39. Perdurable

Jake tensed as the Huntsgirl's hand went around her own throat. He watched, curious, as she pulled away the mask inch by inch, revealing her creamy white neck. It cleared her jawline, her eyes, and then she finally slid it over her forehead and the top of her head. Jake could only see the outline of her profile as she pulled the fabric fully away from her body, letting it drop to her feet. He could hear the deep gasping of her ragged breath.

He stayed perfectly still, waiting for her to turn around and face him. He was no longer filled with anger – with a need to feel her hurting under his claws. Now, he wanted to see her face. He wanted to identify his enemy; he wanted to know who his first official victim would be.

It seemed as though it took her an eternity to finally stop wheezing. Jake's breath caught in his throat as her long braid flipped to the side and she whirled around, body reading for another attack. Except, she was no longer in danger of being attacked; never again could the American Dragon lay a finger on the Huntsgirl, his deadliest enemy. Because she wasn't just the Huntsgirl, with hardened soldier's eyes and a fighting style that trumped his own; she was _Rose_ with her soft blue eyes that blinked up at him sleepily and who asked hundreds of questions he could never answer.

He felt as though his bones were liquidating. He felt as though his body and his mind were falling away. There was nothing left inside of him. He was suddenly just an empty thought; he couldn't think, he couldn't breathe. All he could do was stare blankly at Rose's face, built with the expression of the Huntsgirl. He could feel something growing in his throat – a whine or a growl – because he just couldn't take this.

It was Rose standing in front of him, but it wasn't. His Rose was soft. She was made up of curves and smiles. This Rose in front of him was made of taunt lines, of a haunted expression. Her cold eyes shifted to fall on him and Jake felt a shiver go up his spine. He watched her long fingers (gentle fingers that had woven through his own, danced across his bare chest, entwined themselves through his hair) curl up into talons, lips (pink lips that had kissed his own, that burbled out words faster than he could follow, that twitched up into a beautiful smile he had fallen for not so long ago) flipping into a taunting grimace.

Jake couldn't take it any longer. He fled from the cylinder; fled the basement. He reached the top of the basement stairs and transformed. As he felt himself fall back into humanity, he felt the tears begin. His legs gave out and his hands barely caught him before he hit the floor. He looked down at his hands against the hardwood and lifted up his left palm. Underneath of it, was the black mask the Huntsgirl had discarded minutes ago. Jake choked out a sob. He keeled over, curled into a ball and he let himself feel the pain – he let everything wash over him and wished that he didn't have to feel the hurt.

(-.-)

Lao Shi flew quickly into the upper floor of his home. He dropped quickly to the kitchen floor and transformed, ducking out of sight. He paused for a long minute, gasping for air like Fu next to him was doing. They listened for the sounds of approaching enemies, in the off chance they had been trailed back to their home. Fortunately, it seemed that, despite their best attempts, the Huntsclan had not been able to trail the duo back to their house.

Lao Shi was the first to stir. He pulled himself onto his feet with the aid of the counter. He stretched out his sore arms - he had not been in battle like that for many years and was glad that the fight would soon be brought to an end. He looked down at Fu, who rolled onto his paws and shook out his wrinkled coat.

"Should we go visit the Huntsgirl?" Fu asked, anticipating what was on Lao Shi's mind. "Surely she could take some more questioning."

"It's not a question of whether or not she can handle it," Lao Shi sighed. "It's a question of whether or not she'll say anything."

"Are you saying we don't torture her anymore?" Fu pressed, confused. He knew that Lao Shi was not a cruel man but he was a man who was driven; he would do anything to reach his end goal, especially since so much was riding on Lao Shi's success.

"No, we must." Lao Shi's lips pursed. "I just wished I knew we would succeed using this route." He gestured with aged fingers to the stairs, leading down to the shop.

The two walked into their electronics store, which had never been much of a business. Still, it was a good front and had served them well over the past few decades. They turned into the back room and went to approach the basement stairs when they came upon a very curious scene. A swollen eyed Jake was sitting cross legged directly in the middle of the doorway. He looked up at his grandfather and his dog with a stern expression on his face.

Lao Shi planted his hands on his hips, irritated at being delayed, though he really wasn't looking forward to meeting with the Huntsgirl again, and the delay was only Jake doing his duty and keeping the prisoners in place.

"Was there an attempted breakout?" Lao Shi asked, knowing such a thing were impossible. The cages were infallible.

Jake shook his head, the green tips of his hair blurring.

"No trouble whatsoever?" Lao Shi clarified.

Jake nodded, eyes staying locked on the elderly man.

"Are you going to move then?" Gramps asked. "Fu and I need to do some visiting."

Jake crossed his arms over his chest, pointed chin rising in a display of defiance.

"Jacob," Lao Shi snapped, patience wearing thin at the silent boy. "Move." He stretched out an arm in order to nudge the boy out of the way.

Jake released a dragon like growl, bouncing to his feet. With a swirl of magic, he had transformed into his alter ego. The red scaled dragon bared his deadly teeth at Lao Shi, filling up the entire doorway as he did so. His fierce position made both Fu and Lao Shi take a stuttering step backwards. Fu looked up at the old man, but his face was frozen in a look of shock. He swallowed; it was up to him to talk to the kid – not an easy task, especially as he didn't know where to start. He had no clue to what could possibly be bothering Jake; he had been fine when Fu and Lao Shi had taken off, just a few hours ago.

He held up his hands in a non-threatening gesture. The movement brought Jake's head swinging around, his bright eyes pinning the small dog down.

"I, uh, don't know what's going on," Fu trembled, feeling, for the first time, danger rolling off of Jake. "But c'mon. We're you're family. Whatever is happening, we're not going to hurt you and we're definitely not a threat."

Jake growled.

"Is something going on in the basement?" Fu guessed. "Do you not want us down there?"

At the mention of the room below their feet, Jake shifted, his long neck snaking toward the stairs as though he could see down into the depths. Just as quickly as he moved, he returned back to his original position.

"Can I go down?" Fu asked. "We'll leave the old man up here. It'll be just you and me, buddy. I promise."

Jake's head cocked to the side, considering Fu's offer. His eyes then flicked toward his grandfather, who looked increasingly against his dog's suggestion. However, at Fu's irate glance, he sighed and gave in. "I will go upstairs until you and Fu come to fetch me," he compromised, and returned to the upper level.

Both Jake and Fu stayed silent, listening. Neither of them moved until they heard Lao Shi's footsteps echoing above them. Fu then returned his attention back to Jake, who looked calmer at the absence of his grandfather.

"What do you say? Can we go downstairs?"

Jake heaved a long breath, a small spurt of flame escaping with the deep sigh. He then twisted, slowly going down the stairs. Fu followed quietly, unsure of what kind of conditions he could be going into. He couldn't imagine why Jake would be locking them out of the basement unless one of the prisoners had escaped. If Jake had let the Huntsgirl get away, he could fully understand why the boy wouldn't want Lao Shi down in the basement; wouldn't want to broadcast the failure.

Jake stopped at the very bottom of the stairs, forcing Fu to stay on the last step and peer around the wall. The three cylindrical prisons were still in place, three figures inside of them. One of the boys was lying on his stomach, facing the other. The second one – the taller one – was sitting up, running an absent finger along the side of his shoe. The Huntsgirl looked as she always did; standing in the middle of her tube, prepared for a fight. Except, Fu's eyes widened; for the first time he could see the porcelain doll features of the Huntsgirl's unexpectedly familiar face. In a gesture of comfort, and as a way to keep himself from falling over in shock, Fu placed a hand against Jake's rough shoulder.

"What the hell?" He breathed.

(-.-)

"What's happening?" Nicholas whispered, glancing upward.

Rose shrugged. "With any luck, they're killing each other off," she said bitterly.

Above their heads, muffled shouts and roars could be heard. Every now and again the foundation of the building would shake and the trio would prepare for the ceiling to cave in and their deaths to come. It hadn't happened yet, but Kyle swore there was a crack in the corner.

Rose toyed absently with the bottom of her braid, wishing the damn American Dragon hadn't stolen her mask. Though she wasn't concerned about her own identity, she was worried about how the Dragons might use the people she loved in her human life against her; she was particularly wary of the Chinese Dragon's tricks, but he had not been down to see her yet. Another roar came from the floor above them. Rose felt the concrete floor beneath her rumble along with it.

She hoped they would not continue to argue into the night.

She watched as Kyle and Nicholas tested themselves against the cylinder containers. For the amount of time they had been here, she was impressed with their progress. Kyle could nearly get his entire left half out of the container, while Nicholas just needed to work on his sensitive legs. They continued to work through the grimaces of pains.

Rose, who had been lost inside of her own thoughts, glanced up toward the ceiling. She had not heard anything cry out for quite some time (though time had less and less meaning down in this prison). The quiet made her feel uneasy. She rocked from her back to her feet into a standing position, leaning as close as she could to her container without actually leaving it.

"Cease," she whispered back to Nicholas and Kyle, who immediately dropped to the floor, looking for all the world to be asleep.

Rose squinted toward the step. She would swear there was something there, something watching them. She didn't say a word, just stayed still. The creature ought to know by now that she knew that it was there. She was not disappointed when the American Dragon slithered from the stairs onto the floor. It didn't seem threatening – Rose was not getting a dangerous vibe from it at this moment. She simply stood and watched it, no urge to attack rising within her. The beast attacked her prison and, though she knew it could intrude into her space, made no move to get back.

The American Dragon stopped just outside of her container. The only thing separating the two of them was the thin, magic wall. She stayed perfectly still as it raised its two paws and placed them against the material. She was debating on whether or not to strike out at it – to take her risks and attack – when it began to shift before her very eyes. Her eyes widened in wonder at what could be happening when the display was suddenly over.

And she was left looking at, not Dragon claws, but human fingers.

**I don't own anything recognizable. Thanks to my beta: Noble6.**

**~TLL~**


	40. Timeless

Rose felt a tug deep in the pit of her stomach. Her entire body suddenly felt heavy, yet empty all at the same time. Her hands, of their own accord, placed themselves so that they were echoing his – hovering just above the material so that she wasn't touching him, but she came precariously close to doing so. She stared at his hands – hands she had held and treasured in another life. She looked at the rough callouses on his palm, thought of all the scars she had mapped on his body, and suddenly realized what had happened to him to cause all of the burdens his body carried.

She looked up from the hands – hands that had been claws only moments ago – and into the deep brown eyes of the boy she loved. The deep brown eyes that she could so easily picture set in a Dragon's face; how had she not seen this before? She looked at the black and green hair and saw the black and green mane. There were eerie similarities now that she knew – now that she understood a Dragon and its dual identities.

Rose looked at Jake and could see him as the American Dragon. She could picture the fantastical beast as though he were standing right in front of her and in a way, he was. The thought hit her, hard and fast. _The American Dragon was in front of her because the American Dragon was Jake; she was in love with the one she was destined to kill._ The thought hit her like a physical blow – Rose felt her knees go weak. Her limbs gave out and she sank slowly to the ground, arms still outstretched as though she could hold him.

"How?" Rose breathed. It wasn't a question for Jake, or for herself, but a question for the universe. How could this happen to them? Why – out of all the people in the world the damned Dragon could have turned into, out of all the people in the world she could have found to love – it had to be Jake Long?

Jake echoed her pose, coming down on his knees so that he was eye level with her. His facial expression looked as torn as she imagined hers did. Rose rocked back so that she was sitting in the middle of her cylinder. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, trying to hold herself together.

She couldn't take this right now – she couldn't take this at all, ever. Though she knew that she was strong (she had always had to be strong), she had never learned how to handle this kind of emotion. She doubted anyone would be able to handle this sort of pain. There was something clawing in her heart; clawing in her mind. She couldn't, as the Huntsgirl, walk into battle and slaughter the American Dragon as she had always intended on doing. As much as she thought of them as two separate entities she was the Huntsgirl and she was Rose. She wasn't two different people – if Rose loved Jake, so did the Huntsgirl; if the Huntsgirl knew of the American Dragon's true face, so did Rose.

Yet, she couldn't sacrifice to the American Dragon – couldn't sacrifice herself to Jake. She had an entire Clan depending on her for their lives. She couldn't disappoint them or let them die simply because she loved a boy; loved a boy so much she couldn't bear to let him die, especially at her own hands.

She nearly jumped as she felt warm hands on her back. She peeked out, over the edge of her arm. Jake had entered her prison and was trying to tug her close to him, offering her comfort in the only way he could – through physical contact. Though he had whispered those few, sweet words to her nights ago, Rose knew that she couldn't expect his voice to carry her through this. Besides, even if he was able to speak to her, what would he say? He didn't have any more of an explanation about the universe than she did; he couldn't tell her how they had ended up here.

She didn't let Jake pull her into an embrace. Instead, she swiveled so that she was facing him. Rose placed a hand on either side of his face, trying to memorize the way his eyes glinted in the light, the way his dark hair abruptly became green. She leaned forward, taking a bittersweet kiss from his lips.

Then, she made the impossible decision.

"I can't let you live."

Something inside of her cried out at the words; something inside of her began to scream and rage, telling her that this was wrong. She was looking _Jake_ in the eye and telling him that she was going to murder him. She was going to murder Jake – and there was something surreal about the thought. There was something ridiculous about this entire situation – it wasn't ridiculous in an amusing way, but a hysterical one.

His eyes creased, wrinkles appearing in the very corners of them. She saw his eyes go wet and shiny, and felt hers began to do the same. Rose swallowed, crushing back the emotions. There would be time for her to feel later, right now, she had to be harsh and strong – she had to be who the Huntsmaster would expect. She had to be pure Huntsgirl.

The only problem was, now that her two lives had collided, Rose wasn't so sure she could do that anymore.

"Jake," she breathed his name, and he flinched. "Please, don't misunderstand. This isn't about you and me – if it was the outcome would be so different. But this isn't about us. This is about all of the people that I have to take care of; all the Huntsclan members who depend on me winning so they can live their lives. They don't deserve to die."

Rose glanced over at 88 and 89, still pretending to be sleeping. Yet, they had flipped onto their other side so they were facing her and Jake, ready to come to her aid if anything were to happen. Somehow, she knew that he wouldn't. Despite all that they were suddenly facing, despite the severity of the words she had just uttered, she still had complete and total trust in Jake. Somehow, she didn't believe that he could ever actually hurt her.

Jake didn't seem to have anything to say. He gave a defeated shrug, but she understood immediately. He was asking her if he deserved to live, if she really valued the Clan life above his own. Rose didn't want to think about the answer to that question – she was scared she would find that she didn't value a million other lives over his one.

"Jake," She opened her arms, and he drew her close, both of them relishing the embrace, but knowing how fleeting it truly was. Rose's heart was hammering with what she was about to tell him; about to reveal. "I love you, but I can't."

Rose felt him tense at her words.

"I do, I really do," She whimpered, feeling traitorous tears beginning their journey to her eyes. "But I just . . . I can't doom them."

Jake's arms tightened around her. She felt his breath hot against her ear, sending chills down her spine. Her stomach clenched as she anticipated his voice and she was not disappointed. His words were stronger this time – not wispy, but something that seemed almost tangible.

"I love you too, but I have responsibilities of my own."

Rose drew away, completely out of his arms. She immediately missed the feeling of his body resting against her own, feeling him move as he breathed.

"So what?" She was proud that her voice didn't tremble, that she didn't give into any of the weaknesses that came with being a teenaged girl.

Jake stood and she scrambled to her feet, not willing to let it appear as though he had any advantage over her. She met his eyes and understood the forced hardness in them.

"This means war," She concluded with awful finality.

(-.-)

Andrew paused, chest heaving. He took a moment to gather his wits and observe his surroundings. The Huntsgirl had still not been found and the Huntsmaster was growing increasingly agitated with every moment she was gone; it became a suicide mission to even approach the Huntsquarters anymore. The Huntsmaster would simply force his exhausted warriors back onto the street, back to bloodshed and punishment in his crazed effort to find her. Not that Andrew was hoping she wouldn't be found – he knew that she needed to be. The Huntsmaster had released the news of the prophecy to all levels of the Clan, whipping the members to the same frenzy he was in.

Andrew looked up at the moon; he hoped that Rose was safe. He hoped that he would find her soon. He glanced down at the street below him and shimmied down the fire escape. This part of the city had already been gone over by others but most of the city had been picked apart by now and there was still no sign. The magical creatures had given up any semblance of a fight and instead had fled to their hiding spots. Though the Huntsclan was good at finding these hidden pockets of magical filth, wherever the creatures had retreated to was a good one – there were no sign of them at all.

There was no one left for the Clan to interrogate.

Andrew hit the street and surveyed for signs of life. There was nothing – at nearly four in the morning the city that never slept was mostly quiet. He heard a scuff behind him – perhaps not as quiet as he thought. He spun, ready to attack, but whoever was behind him took him down much faster than he could process. He found himself flush against the cold material of the building behind him. He looked into the eyes of his attacker and was surprised to find Rose.

"Oh thank God!" He cried, momentarily abandoning decorum and seizing the unsuspecting girl in a hug. "It's been hell looking for you. Where are 88 and 89?"

"Safe. I will be sending them to you as soon as possible." She didn't elaborate.

"Sending them? Just bring them. Come on, Huntsgirl. I need to get you back to the Master – you don't understand what the last couple of days have been like."

Rose shook her head, catching the end of her braid in her hands and beginning to fiddle with it. "Neither do you. Look, where I've been . . . I can't exactly leave right now."

"Bullshit. You can't do this. The Master told everyone of the prophecy; people are dying in the quest to look for you!"

"There's some things I need to take care of!" Rose snapped. "Do not question me."

Andrew fell silent, something internal quaking at the force of her words.

"I need a few things from you. The sooner you do this, the sooner I can return."

"Whatever you need," Andrew swore.

"I need the original prophecy and I need the original Clan oath; not the one we recite now but the one in the old language. And I need you to translate it exactly."

"Those are some high demands," Andrew commented, worried about how he would be able to accomplish such a thing.

"I'm aware. But as I cannot do this myself, I must have faith that you can accomplish it." She paused, tilting her head to the side, considering him before correcting herself. "I _do_ have faith in you."

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Andrew asked.

"I will, as soon as I know. Right now, I have this wild hunch. I don't know where this came from or if it will even work but I have to run with it."

"A hunch about what?"

Rose shook her head again. "I can't say. Things have changed now and I don't know what else I can do about it but pray this works out."

"Changed how?" Andrew demanded, but the Huntsgirl was backing away from him.

"I will meet you here again the night after tomorrow. Don't disappoint me."

And then she was gone.

**I don't own anything recognizable. Thanks to my beta: Noble6.**

**~TLL~**


	41. Boundless

Theron stood at the window – a place he rarely vacated now. He was watching the streets, waiting to see her slender limbs and long flowing braid come sauntering in through the front door. He wasn't sure what he would do when the Huntsgirl came back to the Huntsquarters; he might interrogate her to the point of death or he might just have to show her some kind of affection – something he had never shown anyone in his life and something he had never expected to show someone.

Then again, never in his life had he imagined someone like the Huntsgirl. Even though she had mostly been created by him – her body chemistry changed and rearranged to suit his every want and need for a protégée – he was still surprised by how perfect she had turned out; how strong and how sure she was. To lose her now would not only be a waste but it would spell all of the ends. The Huntsmaster was not ready for death and he was certainly not ready to give up on the Huntsclan. As long as there were still magical creatures out there, they needed to be hunted and destroyed.

Theron looked down at his large hands, letting out a breath. He knew that she was still alive. The Huntsgirl was too savvy to simply die. However, she could be injured. She needed a new kind of strength – she needed the strength of the past Huntsmasters to stand behind her now. This was not a decision he had not come to lightly. He had never been intending to give her all of this power – the enormous power and responsibility of the Huntsclan – while she was this young. But the eleventh hour was now upon them and he didn't know where his prized fighter was. She needed all that he could give her.

The Huntsmaster closed his eyes and began, in a low monotone, to recite the ancient vow. It was a pledge that had been recited thousands of times throughout all of history. And now, for the first time, it would be passed on to a woman. He felt a drain on his strength. He no longer felt as powerful as he did a few brief moments before. It was gone from him now: the title of the Huntsmaster. She was now the Huntsmistress – she was going to be the greatest of them all.

He opened his eyes once more. He pressed a palm to the window pane as though that would make her come near; make her come back to him. Theron had given her all that he could. It was up to her now and he knew that she would make the best of it.

(-.-)

Rose let out an involuntary gasp. Her eyes flew open as she was wrenched from the fitful sleep she had just managed to fall into. There was _something_ inside of her now. She didn't know what _something_ was but it was in her veins; in her marrow; in her heart; in her mind. She could feel it pulsating there. It wasn't a presence but it was more like a feeling.

She let her body adjust to this new feeling. After a long sixty seconds, she decided she rather liked it.

"Are you all right?" 88 whispered to her, hearing her noise.

"I'm perfectly fine." Rose stretched her limbs. She felt fantastic. She felt _god like_.

The comparison both startled and scared her. She wasn't a god. She was a seventeen year old girl. Granted, a girl that had seen far too much and had done far too much in her short lifetime but she was still just a child. She looked down at her hands, wondering if she could understand this new sensation simply by looking at her flesh, and by some miracle, she realized she knew exactly what she was feeling. The Master had talked to her about this feeling, back when they would have one on one sessions wherein he would teach her what it meant to run the Clan and what it would someday mean for her to be Mistress.

This was the feeling of the past Clan members. He had spoken of how he could feel their combined past strength and wisdom, fueling him and guiding him. She placed a hand on her breast, feeling her beating heart under her palm, and realized what this meant. Master had officially given up his position as Master. She was in charge now; she was in control. The prophecy had, officially, been set in motion by giving her this title. She felt elated – this _is_ what she had worked her entire life for, after all; she always had to be the best, the brightest, the Master's little prodigy – but her stomach also churned. She _was_ going to have to fight and kill Jake. And it was going to take place in a few agonizingly short days.

But she knew she was going to be strong enough to win.

She didn't know if she wanted to win, wanted to carry on after he was gone, but she knew that she was going to.

"Do you think it's four in the morning yet?" Rose whispered.

"Probably." 89 squeaked.

"Not that there's any way to tell time down here," 88 grouched.

"When are we leaving?" 89 asked, knowing the harsh depth of his friend's annoyance with this place and their prisons.

"Soon," Rose assured them, "Very soon. But we need to accomplish some things and it needs to be done without arousing suspicion. Leaving here will cause suspicion on their parts. Right now, we need trust."

"Trust?" 88 scoffed. "_Trust_? What do we need them to trust us for? Look, just because that dragon turned into your freaking boyfriend –"

"_Enough!"_ Rose thundered. "Enough. Do you honestly think that I would doom the entire Huntsclan because my human persona has a boyfriend?"

She left her cage and entered Kyle's, looming over him so that he could see the truth in her eyes.

"My first duty, my first priority, is with the Clan – my _family_. Whatever I am doing, it is for the good of all. That, you must believe."

Kyle averted his eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry for doubting you."

Rose nodded, accepting his apology. "Andrew is waiting on me; I shall not be long."

She moved slowly up the basement stairs, keeping an ear out for any movement. Though there hadn't been anyone on guard the other night, she was worried that someone would be watching her – especially knowing who she was. She knew that Lao Shi would have taken Jake's pain personally. Yet, ever since she had revealed her face, she had been left alone more often than not. No one had come down to torture her again – in fact, since Jake had shown her his two identities and they had both said all of the awful, truthful words, she had not seen anyone.

And it was just as easy to get out now and find her way back to her meeting place with Andrew.

He was already there when she arrived – a messenger bag hanging from his shoulder. He waited to speak until she was right next to him. They kept their voices low as they conversed; the street appeared to be empty but they didn't want to take the risk of alerting anyone to their presence. It would be hard enough meeting him while avoiding the multitude of Clan members that were roaming the streets looking for her; they didn't need to be worried about the average humans too.

"Are you all right?" Andrew breathed.

"Yes, of course. I'm fine." Rose fidgeted, anxious. She needed to know if he had what she wanted. She needed to know if she could find a way out of this for all of them or if she had to give up on ideas she had of being selfish and actually kill Jake.

"Are you sure you can't come back to the Huntsquarters?"

"No, not now."

"Are 88 and 89 all right?"

"Yes." Rose snapped. "Did you get what I wanted?"

Andrew hesitated. "It wasn't easy –"

"That's to be expected. Did you get it?"

"Sort of . . ."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that yes – I did get the original prophecy and I did get the original Clan oath – sort of. But I wasn't able to translate them."

"What's sort of?" Rose gasped, "And why aren't they translated?"

"I had to ransack the Huntsmaster's office to get these documents!" Andrew growled. "He hardly ever leaves these days – I was risking my neck simply grabbing them. It's only sheer dumb luck that it doesn't look like he ever looks at it!"

Andrew reached into his bag and instead of pulling out two sheets of paper, like Rose had been expecting, he instead pulled out an ancient book.

"This is Mercer's diary," he revealed.

Rose took the book from Andrew with reverence and awe. Mercer – the first Clan member; the beginning of it all.

Andrew flipped the book open. "Most of the book has been translated into English. I mean, it's clearly in the old language here but if you look at it for long enough, it will translate itself. It has to be magic – and I know we are against all forms of it – but we must be thankful for it in this case. I skimmed the diary, not having time to read it of course, and the prophecy and the Clan oath are both in here but they do not, among other ancient oaths and vows, translate."

Rose tucked the book under her shirt, knowing that she had very little time to get back to Jake's basement. She hoped that neither Dragon had come down to check on their charges during her absence.

"I hope there's something in there that can help you," Andrew said, "and I'm sorry for not being able to find someone to translate. But there is no one that old left alive and if there is, they are magical creatures and hidden from us."

Rose nodded her understanding. "You have gotten me Mercer's diary. I was unaware that this existed. I may be able to get more out of this than I would have out of simply the prophecy and the oath. Thank you, Andrew; you have truly come through for me."

Andrew smiled. "When are you coming back with 88 and 89?"

"As soon as I can; we all are anxious to be back. I will be home very soon, hopefully in the next two days."

"I eagerly await that time, Huntsgirl."

"As do I," Rose said, knowing that when she returned home, she would finally have all of the answers. Even if having all of the answers meant that she knew Jake had to die, she would feel better than she did now, cloaked in uncertainty as her mind felt now.

She gave Andrew a salute and took off through the streets. She made sure to keep an eye out for fellow Clan members that would have no issues in reporting any sightings to the Huntsmaster – or worse, dragging her back to him. She made it back into the basement without any issues. She fell onto her stomach, and though exhausted and needing sleep, she began to devour the words written hundreds upon hundreds of years ago by Mercer.

(-.-)

"She has it?"

"She does."

The Oracle Twins looked up from their magic ball – one whose surface reflected the Huntsgirl in her cylindrical prison, reading – and met each other's eyes.

"We have succeeded then, sister."

"Yes," the opposite twin nodded her pale head, "we managed to reach her dreams. She knows how to save herself and the American Dragon – provided she has enough to gall to take the necessary steps."

"She does," the other twin said with conviction. "We must also hope that Lao Shi remembers our final words."

Her sister pursed her lips. "We know that he remembers our words. However, I do not hold out much faith in him trusting her." She tapped the ball and the image changed to show a sleeping Fu Dog. She leaned close to the ball, breathing the words into his dreams. _"Trust in the Huntsgirl; always trust in the Huntsgirl."_

The dog twitched in his sleep and she leaned back, satisfied she had worked her magic. "Fu Dog will take care of everything even if Lao Shi won't."

"Imagine where we would be," the other twin mused, "if we could not communicate this way. The Huntsgirl would not know how to save everyone; the boy would not have known about the diary; Fu would not be able to aid in saving everyone."

"It is indeed a blessing; the ability to plant ideas into other's dreams. Let us not get too hopeful, sister. It is not over yet."

**I don't own anything recognizable. Thanks to my beta: Noble6.**

**~TLL~**


	42. Regularly

Rose closed Mercer's diary with a sound of finality. She took a long shuddering breath, trying to process everything that she had just read. It was an impossible thing. There was so much information- so many revelations – recorded in the diary's pages. Rose didn't know where to start thinking about it. But she knew what she must do – she had a hunch (no, more than a hunch: a near solid feeling) about one person who may still be alive that could translate the ancient words and oaths. But this person, the one mentioned in the diary, was a magical creature. Rose would not have any access to her: even if she did, the creature surely would not consent to speak to the Huntsmistress.

Rose looked up toward the ceiling. Somewhere up there was someone who could help her. There were people in this house who could help her on her quest. People who could give her the full access to the magical world that she so desperately needed but they were people that would never help her: she could tell them everything she knew, she could hand over Mercer's diary, but they were still people that would never help her. She didn't even want to tell Jake: she was terrified of getting his hopes up too high and of failing him. Lao Shi _hated_ her: she could be under the influence of truth-telling magic and he would still think she was lying to him.

There was no one else in this house she could trust.

Except . . .

There was something tugging her brain. She regularly heard three different sets of footsteps above her; regularly heard two voices – Lao Shi's and a male that definitely was not Jake. There was someone else in this house. That person could be the one she needed: a person who would both believe her and allow her access to the magical world. She closed her eyes and tried to think back to that long ago summer: the first time she had been in New York. She tried to think, specifically, of the times she had seen the American Dragon. She had regularly seen him with the Chinese Dragon (who _must_ be Lao Shi) but, as she thought, she couldn't picture them with anyone else.

But a memory of Jake with someone bubbled to her mind. His dog, Fu. She thought about that time she had overheard Lao Shi arguing with someone, only to find that there had been no one in the room with him. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility that Fu was _not_ just a dog: he was a magical creature. Rose almost hoped that the dog was, in fact, just a dog. She didn't think she could bear the knowledge that she had been so blind that she had not only missed two dragons, but a magical dog.

She took a deep breath. She had heard the door slam shut, but that had been a while ago. And there was no telling who had left or if they had come back. Still, she said, "Fu." It was low and soft, but every creature in this house had hearing a thousand times better than hers. If Fu was in the house, and if he was willing to come to her aid, he would have heard her.

Sure enough, there came a clicking sound - claws on the hardwood - from the stairs. She listened to the uneven thump of footsteps become steadily closer. Soon, a dark grey face peered from around the corner. Dark dog's eyes studied Rose, but did not come any closer.

Rose tightened her grip on the diary. She tried to draw strength from Mercer – from all that he intended for this Clan to be; for all he intended for the world to be. She needed to suck up all of her past prejudices and work with magic, not against it. Magic was what would save her and the Clan; magic was what would save Jake.

"Hello," she greeted the dog softly.

She heard whispers behind her. Rose swung her head around, glaring at Nicholas and Kyle until they fell into red faced silence. She turned back around, facing Fu who had come fully into the basement. He looked suspicious of her.

She really couldn't blame him.

"I need to talk to you. Actually, I need help."

Fu sat and crossed his arms. "You _do_ look pretty helpless," he conceded.

Rose might have been shocked after hearing a dog speak, but after her upbringing and after seeing Jake turn into the American Dragon, absolutely nothing held shock value anymore.

"Looks can be deceiving," she said vaguely, before returning to the topic at hand. "It's about the prophecy."

"Yeah? What do you know about it?"

"Are you going to be sharing your knowledge too?" Rose asked. There was a beat of silence as Fu gave her a flat look. "I didn't suppose so. I'm not going to tell you everything but I recognize that you won't trust me on blind faith alone."

Fu nodded his agreement, his eyes locked on the book in her hands. He was both confused and curious: there was no way that book had been on her person when they had brought her in originally. She was getting out.

"I need to save my Clan: you cannot ask me to sacrifice them for the good of your dragons."

"You can't ask us to sacrifice for your Clan," Fu countered fiercely.

"A fair point." Rose agreed. She waited a moment, for emphasis, before adding, "What if we could save them both?"

"Why would you want to save the dragons?" Fu growled, the fur on his back beginning to stand on end. She was toying with them now, surely. He couldn't dare trust her, only to find that he had been deceived and his last hopes for Jake – for Gramps, Haley, all of the dragons he loved – had been dashed away.

"I don't." Rose said firmly. "But for me, this is not about _dragons._ This is about _him_."

Fu studied her. "You truly care about the kid."

"Yes." Rose swallowed. "But I cannot give up everything for him. But I thought, perhaps, if I could save _both_, would that not be so terrible?"

"Hmm. Letting you all live to continue to hunt magical creatures to extinction? Let me think about how that wouldn't be so terrible."

Rose shrugged her shoulders. She took a moment to realize that if she wanted him to trust her, she might have to put a little trust in him in return.

"May I tell you a story?" She asked, "Something that I myself have just discovered, and something that certainly no one else in the Clan knows."

Fu's ears perked up; his eyes gleamed. Rose knew that she had him now: there was no way Fu could refuse to hear her out, at least.

"I would love to hear a story," Fu consented quickly. He squirmed for a moment, making himself as comfortable on the concrete floor as he could before nodding to her to begin.

"The founding member of the Clan was a man named Mercer. As you know, the Clan is as old as human kind – we have been hunting magical creatures for millennia. But we didn't start out that way.

"You see before the Clan hunted magical creatures, they were accepted by human kind as equals. Mercer fell in love with one of them –a witch. They produced a child – a boy. But the boy was killed by an evil sorcerer. Mercer then pledged to devote his life to ridding the world of all evil – not necessarily all magical creatures, just anyone who was a bad character. Mercer and the witch then went on to produce the first Oracle Twins.

"But the happiness did not last. While Mercer – and his group of followers that had joined his cause – was doing an excellent job of ridding the world of evil, the witch became bored. Mercer loved her and their daughters with all his heart, but the fighting of evil often kept him far away from home. He came back once, after nearly two weeks of being away, to find that she had left the home. There was evidence of magic in the home. The two daughters had been abandoned inside, later found by a neighbour.

"Mercer could only conclude that some great, horrific, magical creature had come and stolen his love away; the remnants of magic were from when she attempted to defend herself against a brutal attack, ultimately failing and being kidnapped. On his own, for he would not ask his men to come on this quest with him, he began to track the creature. He was hell bent on bringing his love home safely.

"It took him three years. Most would have given her up for dead, but not Mercer. He loved the witch too much to accept that she was gone. He was right; he found the witch. But she was not being held captivate as he had originally thought. She had fallen in love with a magical creature and had eloped with him.

"Mercer, in a fit of rage, slaughtered his wife's new lover before turning on his wife and ending her life. He returned to his village, to where his men were still loyal to him. He was a changed man, a bitter man, now but they still accepted his leadership. He told them that he had been to the den of magical creatures and that those magical creatures were biding their time and plotting against humanity. He told these men that magical creatures must be killed at all cost if they wanted to keep their families safe. This was spread all over the land until magical creatures were no longer equals: they were hunted and feared. Mercer renamed his group – originally they were called _Hunters Of Evil_ but he now called them the _Huntsclan_. No longer did they hunt evil: they hunted magic."

Rose bit her lip and took a breath. It had been a lot for her to discover; it was a lot to take in. Everything this book told her contradicted what she had learned growing up. She doubted she would ever be fully at peace with the information the diary had given her.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"This is Mercer's diary." She showed him the cover. "It told me all of this and more. I have a plan to save Jake _and_ myself. This diary holds all of the answers. However, the answers lie in ancient oaths and prophecies that are written in the old language – something that I cannot read."

"I'm not that old," Fu interrupted. "I can't read the old language either."

"I didn't expect so." Her big blue eyes turned large and pleading. "However, you know magical creatures. There must be someone old enough that knows what it means. You can bring them here and have them translate it for us."

"Why should I do this for you?" Fu asked. "How do I believe that you're not deceiving me?"

"You have to trust me!" Rose cried desperately. She couldn't lose this chance: she would only get one opportunity and this was it. "I can't guarantee that this will work or that we'll get the results we want but goddammit we _have_ to try. I can't kill him but I can't kill my family either!"

Fu studied her face. He remembered the Oracle Twins words: _trust her_. He didn't know why he was putting his trust in the Huntsgirl of all people, but he honestly believed that she was telling the truth.

"I'd like to help you," he said in a tired voice. "But I don't know anyone that old."

"I think I do," Rose said eagerly. "Mercer mentions in his diary that the witch and her lover had a child and that before the witch died she blessed her child with longevity so that she could tell all people of the world that used to exist; the world that she hoped would exist again. I believe the child lives."

"How would we find the child?"

"Mercer left a description of the daughter. She sounds really distinctive. Perhaps if I read you the description you'll recognize her."

Fu nodded. "All right. Let's hear it."

Rose flipped a few pages in the diary before focusing on one paragraph._ "She was a pretty child, I suppose. She looked just like her mother – brown hair and eyes. She was only human on the top half. Her bottom was made up of eight, grotesque spider's legs. They named the monstrosity Veronica."_ Rose looked up. "Do you know her?"

Fu's jaw went slack. His eyes rolled back in his head. And then, he fainted dead away.

**I don't own anything recognizable. Thanks to my beta: Noble6.**

**~TLL~**


	43. Indissoluble

Fu walked slowly through magic town. He felt his heart racing inside of his body. He didn't know if he could face Veronica. It had nothing to do with her own actions, but rather all that she had kept from him. He thought that he had lived a long life – but she had lived more than three times as long as he had. She had been alive long enough to know the old language: she had seen the birth of the Clan as it was today. After all that they had been through together, after all they had experienced with one another, after all of the times he had turned to her for advice on the magical world, and not once had she given any indication of her life.

He would admit to being a little hurt by her lack of communication on the subject. He had always thought that he and Veronica were so much_ more_ than that. All of that aside, however, Fu knew that he needed to push his personal feelings away. This visit was not so he could talk to Veronica – confront her even – over the avoidances of her past. This visit was so that he could help Jake; so he could help Rose. Though he wasn't entirely sure he should be putting his trust in her, he was working off the words of the Oracle Twins, advising him that she could be trusted.

Of course, there was still the entire issue of keeping Jake from turning into a crystal, but as Fu saw it, one catastrophic problem at a time.

Finally, he saw Veronica's booth. He took a deep breath, readying himself for the upcoming conversation, and approached.

"Hi Fu!" She chirped, flashing him her brightest smile. It was a smile that usually would have made Fu weak in his ancient knees.

"Veronica," he stated.

Immediately, her happy expression faded away, becoming replaced by something confused – uncertain. Her eyebrows knitted together as she studied the dog in front of her. "Fu, darling, is there something wrong?"

Fu heaved a long sigh, his entire body rocking with the force of his breath. "Veronica . . . I need you to come back to the house with me."

"What ever for?"

"We need your help," Fu explained vaguely.

"Of course I'll help you in any way I can – haven't I always done so before? I close up the shop at five: I can be at your house half an hour after."

"No," Fu growled. "I need you to come now."

Veronica placed her hands on her hips. "Then I'm going to need a lot more of an explanation. While I trust you and I will help you, I'm not just going to leave my business at the drop of the hat."

"Fair enough," Fu conceded. "It's about the prophecy."

"Understandably. I can't imagine how you and Lao Shi are focused on anything else these days."

Fu nodded but didn't acknowledge the reality of her comments aloud. "Look, something was discovered that we thought you could help us with – we don't know who else _could_ help us with it."

Veronica blinked. "Did you bring it with you?"

"No. It's not able to leave the house."

"Can you tell me what this is really about?" Veronica pushed. "I know you don't always come to me for help. There are almost certainly better qualified creatures out there to help you. Why do you need me so badly this time?"

Fu looked up at her. "Your name came up specifically."

"My name?" Veronica repeated, looking even more perplexed now than she had at the beginning of the conversation. "Where?"

"In Mercer's diary, after he detailed the killing of your parents. God, Veronica; you have Clan ties!"

"I do not!" Veronica snapped, offended. "He murdered my parents; I barely escaped with my life. I wouldn't call that a 'Clan tie'. And, though I've had many centuries to work through my anger and despair over that event, I can't say I'll be sorry when the Huntsclan finally dies out."

Fu kneaded his claws together. "Veronica, are you fluent in the old language?"

"Yes," she admitted. "I knew it for the first few years when I got to live with my mother and father. Before everything was torn apart."

Fu licked his lips, realizing that as close as he and Veronica were, as easy as it might be to get her into the house and the basement, it wasn't going to be easy at all to get her to read the ancient oaths that hadn't translated into modern English. She was going to take one look at Rose – one look at the diary – and realize that this wasn't just going to help _him_; this was going to be helping the Huntsclan too. And though Fu had never heard Veronica sound bitter before, he could hear the pain of centuries in her voice now. There was a hard edge in her; something that Mercer had created the day he had slaughtered her parents and something that would never go away.

But just because Veronica was angry, didn't mean that he could accept a denial. She was going to have to help him. Their world and the human world and the Huntsclan's world was riding on these prophecies, were riding on Jake and Rose getting it right. Though Fu had no love for the Huntsclan, hearing Rose speak of them as her family had really driven something home: just as Jake and Lao Shi were Fu's family and he would go to any lengths to protect them, the Huntsclan were Rose's family and she would do anything she could to protect them.

It was easy to think of the Huntsclan as an evil corporation filled with mindless warriors. It was harder still to think of them as a family: _family_, with children and parents; lovers and friends. It was hard to think of them as people but that's exactly what they were. They were people, albeit misguided people, but with Rose as their leader, Fu thought, there could be a chance for change; a chance for peace. She knew the truth of her Clan and she did love Jake – perhaps those two things could combine and create a better world for both sides of the equation.

But for any of them to help, for anything to change, Veronica had to get down into the basement and read out of that book. And, somehow, he was going to have to make sure she did that.

"I need you to come back to the house and translate a few things for me." Fu sighed. "And I need you to come now."

Veronica looked at him. "All right, Fu. For you."

"Before you do," Fu said quietly, knowing that this was better played out here than it was at Lao Shi's, "I need to tell you what you're getting into."

And so, he gave her a brief summary of what had occurred this afternoon. Veronica listened to him without interruption, face becoming stony and still by the end of his story.

"No," she said the second he was finished. "Not even for you."

"Can't you?" Fu grabbed her hand, feeling the softness of her fingers against the rough pads of his paw. "Please, Veronica."

"You _knew_ what the Clan did to my parents and you still dared come over here and talk to me? You dared to ask this of me? I know you are bullheaded when it comes to everything and I know you're blind when it comes to the Long family but how could you ask this of me?" There were tears pricking the corners of her eyes and Fu felt guilty pangs against his heart at her sorrowful expression.

"This isn't about being blind to the Long family. This is about helping the entire world – "

"This is about helping both sides!" Veronica shrieked. "If this was about helping the entire world you would send Jake into battle to slaughter her!"

"I'm not sure he can!" Fu snapped back at her. "Especially knowing her real identity: when both of them wore human faces they were in love with each other; in _love_, Veronica. How could any of us ask him to kill her? No, if they fought now, I'd worry that he would let her win – I know he has a strong family loyalty and that may win out, but I fear there may be hesitation in him that is not found in her. Also, the Huntsclan has more gems. She will be stronger than him either way.

"Listen to me, Veronica. If the Huntsgirl wins over Jake, she will return to the Huntsclan and still be the Huntsmaster's puppet. Do you know what that means for all of us? Death. There's no two ways about that. So either you help us now or you doom us all now. What's your choice?"

Veronica lifted her chin. She had never heard Fu speak so harshly to anyone, let alone her. But she could not deny the truth in his words. She had to help him and, by extension, help the Clan. It was a painful thought: to help the very group that had scarred her for life. Yet, it was something that she was going to have to do. It didn't feel right to her, not at all, but she didn't have a choice.

"I'll close up right now." Her shoulders slumped as she began to tuck away magical items and close up her booth. "And then we'll go back to your house."

"Thank you." Fu breathed.

(-.-)

Rose stared wide-eyed at the spider woman in front of her. Though it was probably rude, she couldn't take her eyes off the eight black, hairy legs that spouted from the lower half of the woman's body. Veronica, as she was called, was a beautiful woman on the top, but the lower half made a shiver go down Rose's spine. It was, most likely, a left over reaction from how the Master and all of the Clan teachers had drilled her to view magical creatures. There was nothing about Veronica that should give her the shivers.

Veronica folded all of her large legs underneath of her body, settling on the ground, close to Rose's cylinder. Fu was close to her. He handed her a paper and pen so that she could write down the translations out of Mercer's ancient diary.

"Can I see it?" Veronica asked.

Rose was hesitant to hand over the book. Veronica had every reason to torch the diary; to hate the Clan. Rose knew that she was only helping because Fu had asked her to but she didn't know how far Veronica's love for Fu went. She reminded herself that she had put her trust in Fu originally and there was no point in going back on this now. If this didn't go through – if this plan fell apart – she was going to have to take 88 and 89 and return to the Clan. After that, she was going to have to fight Jake – just like she'd been supposed to all along.

So, she was really hoping that Veronica didn't screw them all over.

Hesitantly, she inched the book out of her prison. She was careful not to touch the wall so that Fu wouldn't suspect that she was able to slip in and out of her jail cell. She watched, blue eyes anxious, as Fu took the diary in his hands. To her relief, Veronica didn't take the dairy from Fu. Instead, he held it in his paws, flipping the pages with Veronica leaning over his shoulder. Eventually, they found a page where the writing didn't change – it remained frozen in the old language that it was originally written in.

"This is the prophecy," Veronica announced, "in full."

Rose was surprised to find that her fingers were trembling as Veronica began to read, pen scratching the paper as she went.

"Four dragons of legends untold,

"Spoke of human's tarnished gold.

"A world so broken beyond repair,

"Needs help of earth, fire, wind, and air.

"Wielded by dragon youngest of all,

"The gems will heed to the hero's call.

"Yielded by mistress of the hunt,

"The dragons' end will be blunt.

"At the eve of the dragon's first rise,

"Both will be pulled for the other's demise.

"Fight they will, strong and swift,

"One will be victorious, none knows which.

"That which possess the gem,

"All but ensures their enemies end,

"Once the blood of the foe has spilled,

"All that shares in the side will be killed.

"Once the battle has been fought,

"Another gift will be sought.

"Upon a dragon, sacrifice will be taken,

"To assure the human's that have forsaken,

"The order that used to be

"Will rise and once again be free."

**I don't own anything recognizable. Thanks to my fantastic beta: Noble6.**

**~TLL~**


	44. Indelible

Veronica finished reading the prophecy and fell silent. Fu and Rose remained stationary. Everyone in the room could feel the weight of the words falling over them – and it did feel like a physical weight. The words held the magic and finality of centuries past; it was hard to ignore the power of the prophecy – words originally spoken from someone long dead, still bearing importance in their modern world.

Rose felt as though someone had clapped thick bands around her chest. She couldn't breathe, and, as a result, could hardly think either. Here was her fate: after all these months of wondering, of thinking about it, here it was – black and white, in the purest form she could think of. She began to itch to get her hands on the paper copy and study the English words. But she knew that she must also hear the original Clan Oath before any studying began. The plan that had so unexpectedly arrived in her thoughts counted on both the Clan Oath and the prophecy were hers to study; hers to command.

At the vague mention of command, her veins began to thrum. She could feel the power of the Huntsclan within her. It began to get tempting; thinking of controlling a world where all answered to the Huntsclan; where nothing she said could be questioned; where there was none on the hierarchy higher than her. She quickly shook her head of the thoughts, summoning a picture of Jake into her thoughts. She didn't need to rule the world. She just needed to save her piece of it.

"The Oath," Rose croaked, finally breaking the heavy silence and stirring everyone out of their deep thoughts.

"Right," Veronica nodded, looking down to Fu who began to dutifully flip through the pages of the ancient diary.

"Here," he said, angling the book toward Veronica.

Veronica cleared her throat, preparing to write out the original Oath, just as she had done with the prophecy moments before.

"I pledge myself to the cause;

"I pledge myself to do all I can to help all – humanity and creature;

"I pledge myself to be loyal and true – to emanate good qualities;

"I pledge myself, fully and truly, to my brothers and sisters;

"I pledge myself to the Hunters Of Evil."

Rose drew a breath. Behind her, 88 and 89 repeated her action, in tandem with one another.

"What?" Fu asked, eyes widening as he studied Rose and the two masked boys behind her. "What is it?"

"That is nothing like our oath; the one that we all have to repeat annually." Rose explained. "Is there anything in there from Mercer about the Clan Oath? Did he change it himself or was it a product of being translated through different languages over the years and the changes the Clan went through?"

Fu flipped through the book, pausing whenever he found a section written, and stuck, in the old language. Veronica skimmed each entry quickly, looking to see if it answered Rose's questions. Finally, Fu shut the book, very gently. He cradled it in his paws for a long moment, as though it were sacred. Which, in a way it was. It held the answers to his hopes for Jake's future, for his life. Ever since Fu had met the boy – nothing but a baby crying in Lao Shi's arms – Fu had loved him; Fu had high hopes for him. And not just because he was the first American Dragon; not because he was so important to the Dragon community as the first. Jake was special to Fu because he simply was; Fu had never been the animal protector to something so small, so dependent before. Fu would do anything for Jake; he was going to the ends of the earth to save his life.

Fu slid the book through the cylinder prison back to Rose. She snatched it up close to her, as though it were an infant. Watching the way her fingers protectively stroked the spine, Fu knew that, in this moment, he and Rose were of the same mind. That little, old, crumbling book were going to give them everything they wanted or was it going to destroy both of them.

"Can I have the English versions too?" Rose requested, gesturing to the papers still clutched in Veronica's stiff fist.

Veronica looked down at her fingers, as though surprised to find that she was still holding something. Wordlessly, she passed them to Fu, who passed them to Rose. She sat them next to the book, spreading out the sheets of paper so that they lay flat against the hard ground. She crossed her legs and hunched forward, preparing to compare the two and confirm her thoughts on how to save them. Before she could delve into the sheets, the diary, and all of the meanings attached to what she had just recently learned, she realized that Fu and Veronica were still seated toward her, staring intently.

"I need a minute," she revealed.

She saw Fu's jaws open, preparing to protest leaving her. He had a stake in this too; this mattered to him just as much as it mattered to her.

"Just a few," she assured him. "Please."

Fu nodded. "I'll be back to talk to you in about an hour?"

"Yes," Rose agreed. "An hour will suffice. Will you bring Lao Shi with you? I feel as though he should be involved in this as well."

"Right," Fu nodded, muttering under his breath, "that will be a fun experience."

He climbed to his feet, taking Veronica's hands and leading her up the basement stairs into the main level of the floor.

As soon as they were out of sighr, Rose was on her feet. She strode out of her cylinder prison and into Kyle's. She gestured Nicholas out of his own prison, to join her and his friend. Nicholas quickly bounded to their sides, looking at Rose expectantly; waiting for orders. They were both looking at her like that.

Rose took a deep breath. "Time to put your mental skills to test."

"Mental skills?" Nicholas repeated suspiciously.

"Well, Nicholas, guess you won't be any help," Kyle remarked sarcastically.

Nicholas' fist flashed out, punching Kyle in the bicep. Kyle barely flinched, bringing up his own fists.

"Enough!" Rose snapped. "This is serious business."

Kyle and Nicholas immediately snapped to attention, youthful eyes focusing on her stern face.

"Memorize this," she said, offering them the original Clan Oath. "Every single word."

"Right away." 88 and 89 chorused. They each held one side of the paper, heads bent together as they began to chant the words, trying to commit the words to memory.

Rose watched them, feeling hope blooming in the pit of her stomach. Hearing the words once was enough – her theory was confirmed. With a little bit of help from Fu and Lao Shi, she would be able to save Jake. She would be able to save them all.

(-.-)

"Jake? Why do you look so sad?"

Jake glanced at Haley. Beautiful, innocent Haley. What would she do when he was gone; when he had no answers left for her probing questions? She would be all right. Haley was strong, smart, and capable. She would be much more than he ever was. She would never be weak and she would never be sad – broken – like he was.

"Life is sad." Jake responded.

"But your life has been getting better, right?" Haley pushed. She slipped her gloved hand into his as they walked down the street. "I mean, you've been feeling better and you've been hanging out with Spud and Trixie a lot and you have Rose. Everything's been good."

The mere mention of Rose's name – falling softly and sweetly from Haley's young lips – pierced Jake to the core. Rose – sweet, lovely Rose; the only girl he would ever love – who he was destined to kill; who had declared war on him as he had very clearly declared war in return.

"Jake?" Haley pressed. "Is everything not good?"

He looked down at her dark hair, her prodding eyes.

"No," he sighed. "It's not."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Haley asked. "I'm a _really_ good listener. And I give really good advice. I'll be super helpful if you want to talk about it."

"No." Jake grunted.

"But I'll be helpful," Haley pushed.

"No," Jake repeated, more harshly.

"But why?" Haley whined.

"Because I can't. Because you don't want to hear it." Jake sighed heavily.

"Why can't you? And I _do_ want to hear it. I want to be able to help you in any way that I can and I know that I can help you."

Jake shook his head. "It's too much. You're too young. You'll find out soon enough," he added onto the end, rather bitterly.

"Are you going to be okay though?" Haley asked, letting the bigger issue drop. She could see the pain and reluctance written all over Jake's facial features and she didn't want to be the reason that he hurting any more than he already was. If talking about it hurt him, she was going to take his silence – for once.

Jake let out a crisp nod.

"I thought so," Haley said with confidence. "If you could get through the past little bit, then you can get through anything. I have faith in you, Jake."

Jake didn't have the heart to tell her that she shouldn't have faith in him; he would only let her down.

(-.-)

Lao Shi crossed his arms tightly over his chest. He glared at Rose, who was standing in her prison cell, staring directly back at him. Behind her, her two male companions were in the same position – standing tall, ready to fight and stand behind their leader as needed. He tore his gaze away from the three Huntsclan members and down to his wrinkled, stubborn, grey dog.

"I will not trust her." He growled.

"You _have_ to," Fu said, voice low so that it wouldn't carry over to the trio. "She is the woman the Oracle Twins were talking about; we _must_ trust her."

"She is evil. She is the future Huntsmistress. All she wants to do is kill and destroy our kind. Just because you know her human face – just because she says some sweet words and pretends she cares, doesn't mean that she actually does. Don't buy into her lies. Don't be swayed. She is not Rose. She is the Huntsgirl."

"Why can't she be both? Why does she have to be one or the other? Why can't you believe that she has actual human emotions and that she cares for Jake? Why can't you believe she actually wants to help us? She is _not_ our enemy; not anymore. If she were trying to hurt us, if she were trying to hurt the kid, why would she go through all of the trouble of trying to gain our trust? Why show us the diary; why promise us her help?" Fu threw questions at Lao Shi quickly, gaining momentum as he went. He was completely on Rose's side; he couldn't understand why Lao Shi was being so stubborn. Didn't he care about Jake?

"She is one of them. She is _not_ one of us. I cannot believe you would risk hurting Jake just because she said something slightly convincing."

"Me hurt Jake?" Fu scoffed loudly. "You're handing him a death sentence because of your ignorance!"

"I am trying to save his life!" Lao Shi growled, fire burning in his eyes as his hands balled into fists.

"And I am showing you how!" Fu returned.

"You'll be the cause of his death," Lao Shi assured Fu, "And I will have none of it."

And with those words – harsh, cruel, and final – Lao Shi swept out of the basement.

Fu didn't even watch him leave. Instead, he walked over to Rose's cell. He placed his paws on his hips, took a long breath to steady himself, and looked up at the blue-eyed beauty.

"Tell me what you need from me."

**I don't own anything recognizable. Thanks to my beta: Noble6.**

**~TLL~**


	45. Termless

Rose drew a breath. Before she fully felt in control of what was happening – before she could fully feel confident in saving everything that she loved – she had one last hurdle left. There was a single obstacle left and she hoped that she had Fu's complete trust. If he had even a little bit of doubt left within him, Rose had doubts that she would be able to accomplish all that he needed to. However, Rose got the feeling that Fu had no doubts surrounding her – whatever was compelling him to trust her so completely, she hoped it continued.

"I need your gem," Rose requested.

"What?" Fu blinked.

"Your gem," Rose repeated. "You have the Earth one, do you not?"

"Ah," Fu stammered before finally admitting, "Yes. We do."

"I need it." Rose met his eyes, hoping that she could convey everything she couldn't put into words; everything she couldn't stand to hear herself say aloud.

"I-"

She could see reluctance written over his features. She felt a surge of adrenaline as she rushed to convince him out of his reluctance; into believing her again.

"Fu, I know it might seem like a lot to ask. Okay, I know it _is_ a lot to ask. I understand, you know. As much trust as you have put in me, I am a risk. I am the Huntsgirl," a tiny voice in the back of her mind instantly corrected her: she was their mistress now. "And that means something negative to you. However, I am fighting to prove that I _can_ be something good, that I can help fix this mess. I need the gem. I need it for Jake."

At the mention of Jake, Fu seemed to be slammed out of his reluctance. He blinked rapidly, puffed up his chest, and nodded at Rose. "For Jake," he repeated in a low voice. "Don't let us down," he said to Rose – half demanding, half pleading.

Rose didn't know how to respond to that – she would do her best not to let them down (if she let them down, she also let herself down) but she didn't know if she could guarantee it. For the first time in her life, Rose didn't know what was going to happen next; didn't know what was going to become over her. From the time she was born she had always had a clear path; she would train for Master, she would fight for Master, and then she would take over the Clan and lead it just as well, if not better, than Master had. She had been trained in a multitude of skills so that she would always be able to make the best of a situation and so that she could never be caught unaware by something. Rose had always had sure footing to stand on – there were no surprises bubbling forward in her life.

And now there was nothing but surprises coming for her. If Rose succeeded and saved Jake and the Clan – what happened then? Certainly they could never go back to the way things were before; she couldn't allow it. Now she knew the true history of the Clan, now she knew that magical creatures weren't evil simply because they had magic. It would be hard to change the minds of the Clan but she was their Mistress now, and she knew that she could do it. It was the right thing – she probably hadn't done the right thing once in her life until this point – to do and she was determined to succeed.

She held her breath as Fu came back into the room, a brown gem clutched tightly in his paws. Rose's heart leapt into her throat; it was so foreign and familiar at the same time. She had three of those gems in her position. One more and she would have the power to change_ everything_. Fu approached her cage and Rose found herself rushing the borders, ready to hold it in her hands and save everything she loved.

"Before I give you this, I need you to tell me your plan." Fu looked at her, eyes so wide Rose finally understood the phrase 'puppy eyes'.

"I-" Rose began before quickly cutting herself off. She had a wild ass theory and a hope. There was no plan involved in what she was about to embark.

"I think I've been more than trusting toward you," Fu began harshly, taking her silence as an unwillingness to reveal her plans to him rather than a lack of words. "It's to the point of recklessness now. I may have completely damaged my relationship with Lao Shi – someone I have worked with and cared about for decades now. I've brought you Veronica; I'm here to give you the gem and all of the information you could need or even think about needing. All I'm asking for is a little bit of respect in return. I'm risking all of our lives here. You owe me this."

"I understand," Rose murmured. "And I know that I should be able to give you this, but honestly, I don't have that much of a plan. I'm working off of fumes here and I'm pushing my brain around and around in circles trying to figure out what I can do. I have a longshot and a prayer. I need your trust, Fu. I promise I'll come through for you."

She held out her hand, trying to show her desperation and pleading across her features. "Please."

Fu held the gem next to his heart. He closed his eyes and Rose could physically see the moment he made his decision. Without opening his eyes, he asked her one last question.

"Is the gem the only thing that you need from me?"

"No." Rose shook her head. "I need you to let us all go."

"I can't do that," Fu said, but his voice was soft.

"It's the only way," Rose prompted, keeping his mind focused on what they were fighting for; _who_ they were fighting for. For the first time in millennia, someone of the Clan and someone with magic were on the same side – wanting to achieve the same goals.

Fu let out a weary sigh. "Our fate rests on your shoulders," he reminded us, but Rose didn't need reminding. Countless lives – more than the ones that Fu was considering in his count – were resting on her shoulders, had been for so long. Her shoulders felt bowed and weary, but she had to shoulder the burden. Their lives were hers to save and she was ready to accept that responsibility – she was ready to save them all.

Rose heard an uneasy shuffling behind her and hoped that 88 and 89 had the good sense to stay silent. She and Fu were walking a delicate line – any hitch and the entire world would lose its balance. Luckily, they were just shifting nervously, glancing at one another and exchanging wordless questions regarding their leader.

Fu gave each of them individual glances. He kept the Earth Gem cradled into his fur as he went to the edges of the cylindrical prisons. He dropped Rose's prison first. She blinked – slightly stunned that Fu actually did it. She didn't have to sneak away from this place in the dead of night, 88 and 89 trailing after her and a stolen Earth Gem in her hand. Though she had been planning heavily on that particular scenario, she was glad that they were able to cooperate; she was glad that things were working out in the more positive aspect.

She turned as the walls of 88 and 89's prisons dropped away, leaving them all free in the basement. In a flash they both moved so that they were standing behind her – one of them facing the stairs in case someone started walking down and the other facing down Fu.

Fu had his gaze locked on the floor. He padded up next to Rose, completely keeping his eyes off of her. Without any eye contact whatsoever, he placed the gem in her waiting palm. He then slumped down on the floor, burying his face in his paws. Rose didn't have any words to comfort him, anything that would make his mind rest easier. She knew that it would be an insult to both of them if she offered false words.

Instead, she gestured with her head toward the stairs, indicating that it was time for them to leave. They waited for her to begin to ascend the stairs – both were slightly worried that Lao Shi would come flying out of nowhere, forcing them to fight their way out. But it didn't happen. Rose was able to lead them into the shop – snatch her mask from where it had ended up lying on the counter – and then she continued on out the front door without any interruption.

She pulled her mask on her face, slipping into the garment excitedly. She knew this mask – had lived and worked in this mask – this mask was not a mystery to her. She knew all about this mask; it would not surprise her.

With the gem and diary cradled close to her body, Rose set off at a run, 88 and 89 on her heels.

(-.-)

"WHERE IS SHE?" Theron roared. He felt as though he were going to lose his voice – his throat felt raw from all of the shouting he had been doing. The volume, however, was proving to be useless. He couldn't terrify the Clan members any more than he already had and, in return, they couldn't do anything more than they already were.

The Clan had searched high and low, left and right, every run down shabby corner and every high scale street for the Huntsgirl. She was simply not to be found. No one could locate her. Either she was not in New York or the dragons were much craftier than he was inclined to give them credit for.

He refused to believe the dragons were intelligent at all.

"Where is she?" Theron repeated, but somehow it was much more menacing in a lower pitch than any of his shouts had been.

Andrew tried not to flinch. The Huntsmaster's angry words had been flying at him for days now. It was something that, ordinarily, he would have been able to get used to. Ordinarily, he would have known that he was doing his job; that he was searching far and wide for Rose and he just couldn't find her. Ordinarily, he would never have been standing in the Master's offices, lying straight to his angry face.

"I-I don't know," Andrew stammered.

"I-I-I," The Huntsmaster mocked, becoming immature in his frustration. "I told you to find her."

There was a deadly calm to his voice now. It made Andrew shrink even further into his skin.

"I tried!"

"You didn't try enough!" The Master accused.

"We're all trying! We're all trying our best."

The Huntsmaster knitted his fingers together, a contemplative look coming over his harsh features. Andrew didn't like the change and gulped in air, trying to stabilize his fragile state of mind.

"But the others aren't you." The Huntsmaster murmured thoughtfully.

"Excuse me?"

"They aren't you. Don't play stupid with me, boy. This is _my_ Clan and I know exactly what's going in it. I know that you have been visiting heavily with the Huntsgirl – perhaps even engaging in illicit activities with her."

Andrew gaped like a fish, trying to find the denial but being unable to. The idea was so ludicrous that he simply couldn't defend himself.

"But that is not of consequence."

The Huntsmaster approached Andrew. Andrew backed away from the much larger man until he was flush against a wall –cornered with no escape route. He began to shake; a cold feeling coming over him as he realized that something very wrong was about to happen.

"What is of consequence," Theron continued, "is that you're lying."

"NO!" Andrew cried.

"I don't know what about, but I am convinced you know where she is. Tell me and you can leave."

"I don't know!" Andrew screeched. It was true – he had met with the Huntsgirl but he had no idea where she was being kept; she had given him no details whatsoever. She hadn't wanted him to know, most likely anticipating that he would find himself in this position.

"Tell me!" Theron growled, but didn't give the child another chance for denials and lies.

The Huntsmaster reached out with a thick hand, wrapping it easily around the boy's throat. The Huntsboy struggled, weakly kicking out at the Master while struggling for air. Theron hardly blinked, he simply waited until the boy's body had given out and then he let the child collapse to the ground, lifeless.

**I own nothing recognizable. Thanks to my fantastic beta:Noble6.**

**~TLL~**


End file.
